• New blood tests show promise for faster and more accurate diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease, medical researchers say.
• Many current Alzheimer’s diagnoses are based on symptoms and cognitive exams, but blood tests could offer a simpler alternative.
• Blood tests measuring p-tau217, a biomarker associated with Alzheimer’s, are expected to become more prominent as FDA guidelines are established.

New blood tests could help doctors diagnose Alzheimer’s disease faster and more accurately, researchers reported Sunday – but some appear to work far better than others.

It’s tricky to tell if memory problems are caused by Alzheimer’s. That requires confirming one of the disease’s hallmark signs — buildup of a sticky protein called beta-amyloid — with a hard-to-get brain scan or uncomfortable spinal tap. Many patients instead are diagnosed based on symptoms and cognitive exams.

Labs have begun offering a variety of tests that can detect certain signs of Alzheimer’s in blood. Scientists are excited by their potential but the tests aren’t widely used yet because there’s little data to guide doctors about which kind to order and when. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration hasn’t formally approved any of them and there’s little insurance coverage.

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“What tests can we trust?” asked Dr. Suzanne Schindler, a neurologist at Washington University in St. Louis who’s part of a research project examining that. While some are very accurate, “other tests are not much better than a flip of a coin.”

Demand for earlier Alzheimer’s diagnosis is increasing

More than 6 million people in the United States and millions more around the world have Alzheimer’s, the most common form of dementia. Its telltale “biomarkers” are brain-clogging amyloid plaques and abnormal tau protein that leads to neuron-killing tangles.

New drugs, Leqembi and Kisunla, can modestly slow worsening symptoms by removing gunky amyloid from the brain. But they only work in the earliest stages of Alzheimer’s and proving patients qualify in time can be difficult. Measuring amyloid in spinal fluid is invasive. A special PET scan to spot plaques is costly and getting an appointment can take months.

Even specialists can struggle to tell if Alzheimer’s or something else is to blame for a patient’s symptoms.

“I have patients not infrequently who I am convinced have Alzheimer’s disease and I do testing and it’s negative,” Schindler said.

New study suggests blood tests for Alzheimer’s can be simpler and faster

Blood tests so far have been used mostly in carefully controlled research settings. But a new study of about 1,200 patients in Sweden shows they also can work in the real-world bustle of doctors’ offices — especially primary care doctors who see far more people with memory problems than specialists but have fewer tools to evaluate them.

In the study, patients who visited either a primary care doctor or a specialist for memory complaints got an initial diagnosis using traditional exams, gave blood for testing and were sent for a confirmatory spinal tap or brain scan.

Blood testing was far more accurate, Lund University researchers reported Sunday at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference in Philadelphia. The primary care doctors’ initial diagnosis was 61% accurate and the specialists’ 73% — but the blood test was 91% accurate, according to the findings, which also were published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Which blood tests for Alzheimer’s work best?

There’s almost “a wild West” in the variety being offered, said Dr. John Hsiao of the National Institute on Aging. They measure different biomarkers, in different ways.

Doctors and researchers should only use blood tests proven to have a greater than 90% accuracy rate, said Alzheimer’s Association chief science officer Maria Carrillo.

Today’s tests most likely to meet that benchmark measure what’s called p-tau217, Carrillo and Hsiao agreed. Schindler helped lead an unusual direct comparison of several kinds of blood tests, funded by the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health, that came to the same conclusion.

That type of test measures a form of tau that correlates with how much plaque buildup someone has, Schindler explained. A high level signals a strong likelihood the person has Alzheimer’s while a low level indicates that’s probably not the cause of memory loss.

Several companies are developing p-tau217 tests including ALZpath Inc., Roche, Eli Lilly and C2N Diagnostics, which supplied the version used in the Swedish study.

Who should use blood tests for Alzheimer’s?

Only doctors can order them from labs. The Alzheimer’s Association is working on guidelines and several companies plan to seek FDA approval, which would clarify proper use.

For now, Carrillo said doctors should use blood testing only in people with memory problems, after checking the accuracy of the type they order.

Especially for primary care physicians, “it really has great potential to help them in sorting out who to give a reassuring message and who to send on to memory specialists,” said Dr. Sebastian Palmqvist of Lund University, who led the Swedish study with Lund’s Dr. Oskar Hansson.

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The tests aren’t yet for people who don’t have symptoms but worry about Alzheimer’s in the family — unless it’s part of enrollment in research studies, Schindler stressed.

That’s partly because amyloid buildup can begin two decades before the first sign of memory problems, and so far there are no preventive steps other than basic advice to eat healthy, exercise and get enough sleep. But there are studies underway testing possible therapies for people at high risk of Alzheimer’s, and some include blood testing.

Those who play pickleball are known to gain physical and cognitive benefits from the activity — but for one Florida woman, the fast-growing game also helped to save her sight.

Linda Corcoran, 79, an avid pickleball player and great-grandmother, has been playing the paddle sport three times a week for the past four or five years. 

She knew something was amiss in 2021, when the lines on the court suddenly began appearing wavy and distorted to her.

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“Beyond this affecting my ability to play, I was really worried about what these symptoms meant for my vision and overall eye health,” Corcoran told Fox News Digital via email. 

Corcoran also began seeing floaters and wavy lines in both of her eyes – on and off the pickleball court. 

“When I texted, the letters on the screen looked tilted,” she said — which she later found out was due to fluid in her retina.

Corcoran made an appointment with her eye specialist — who diagnosed her with wet age-related macular degeneration (wet AMD).

What is AMD?

The leading cause of vision loss for people age 65 and over, AMD affects 1.5 million people in the U.S., experts say.

Symptoms of wet AMD include blurred vision, blind spots in the middle of the field of vision, difficulty distinguishing colors, and edges or lines appearing wavy, according to Corcoran’s ophthalmologist, Dr. Matthew Cunningham of the Florida Retina Institute.

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“In Linda’s case, lines on the pickleball court were an effective indicator of her vision, as she saw something that was supposed to be straight appearing wavy,” he told Fox News Digital. 

“For many who play pickleball or other sports, noticing the court looking wavy is an important sign to come in right away and get your eyes checked.”

Linda Corocan is shown receiving an eye exam from Dr. Matthew Cunningham from the Florida Retina Institute. (Florida Retina Institute)

Other warning signs can include noticing that window blinds appear crooked when they’re not, or that something that’s supposed to be straight, like a flagpole, appears wavy, Cunningham said.

Having trouble reading in low light can also be a symptom of wet AMD.

The condition may also affect the ability to see or recognize faces or objects, read and write, or drive, the doctor added.

“For many who play pickleball or other sports, noticing the court looking wavy is an important sign to get your eyes checked.”

Early detection is key to preventing vision loss due to wet AMD, according to Cunningham. 

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“In the early stages, there may be no symptoms, which is why it’s important for everyone to visit their eye doctor at least once a year for an eye exam, even if they don’t notice anything wrong,” he advised.

If left untreated, wet AMD can cause rapid and severe vision loss, Cunningham warned.

Treatments for AMD

There are treatments available to help improve and maintain vision for people with wet AMD. 

“Wet AMD is most often treated with medicine injected into the eye, which can help improve and maintain your vision,” said Cunningham.

“While treatment has traditionally required intravitreal injections as often as every month, newer treatments have been found to be effective for up to 12 to 16 weeks between injections.”

“In the early stages, there may be no symptoms, which is why it’s important for everyone to visit their eye doctor at least once a year for an eye exam, even if they don’t notice anything wrong,” advised Cunningham, pictured with Corcoran. (Florida Retina Institute)

After a different medication was ineffective, Cunningham suggested that Corcoran try a treatment called Vabysmo.

The prescription medication — made by Genentech, a member of the Roche Group in Switzerland — is administered in both eyes every 10 weeks, designed to dry up damaging fluid in the back of the eye to help preserve vision.

Vabysmo is the first and only FDA-approved treatment designed to block two causes of wet AMD, the company told Fox News Digital via email.

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“When the doctor first told me I needed to receive injections, I was overwhelmed and nervous,” Corcoran said. 

“I dreaded the shots, but now I know that my consistency with the treatment allows me to preserve my vision to help me continue doing the things that I love, like pickleball.”

Symptoms of wet AMD include blurred vision, blind spots in the middle of the field of vision, difficulty distinguishing colors, and edges or lines appearing wavy. (iStock)

Today, a year after starting Vabysmo, Corcoran’s vision has significantly improved.

“It has successfully kept the fluid out of her retina and has had a positive effect on her vision,” said Cunningham.

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Corcoran added, “It’s overwhelming to feel like your favorite hobbies and ability to socialize could be in jeopardy when you start to see changes in your vision, so I feel really lucky to have found a treatment that has worked so well for me.”

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Some of the common side effects of Vabysmo include cataract and blood on the white of the eye (conjunctival hemorrhage), according to a statement from the company provided to Fox News Digital.

Today, a year after starting Vabysmo, Corcoran’s vision has significantly improved. “It has successfully kept the fluid out of her retina and has had a positive effect on her vision,” said Cunningham. (Florida Retina Institute)

For all adults, Cunningham recommends getting annual, comprehensive eye exams to detect potential disease early — particularly for older adults or those who have been diagnosed with conditions like diabetes or hypertension, which can impact eye health and cause vision loss. 

“You don’t need to wait to see an eye doctor, as we have a number of tests that can identify early signs of diseases before symptoms appear,” he added.

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More than half of pickleball players in the U.S. are age 55 or older, with almost a third (32%) of them over the age of 65.

Fox News Digital reached out to Genentech, maker of Vabysmo, for comment.

Ozempic, Wegovy and other GLP-1 medications have gained widespread popularity for weight loss and diabetes control in recent years — but the spike in demand has made it difficult for some people to get the drugs.

To help eliminate supply chain snafus, the first-ever generic GLP-1 — a duplicate of Victoza — launched on June 25.

Manufactured by Novo Nordisk and distributed and sold by Israel-based Teva Pharmaceuticals, Victoza is an injectable medication intended to treat type 2 diabetes. It has also been shown to promote weight loss in certain patients, according to Teva.

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While Ozempic and Wegovy contain semaglutide and Mounjaro has tirzepatide, Victoza has liraglutide as its active ingredient.

“By launching an authorized generic for Victoza (liraglutide injection 1.8mg), we are providing patients with type 2 diabetes another option for this important treatment,” said Ernie Richardsen, SVP, head of U.S. commercial generics at Teva, in a press release from the company.

The new authorized generic is the exact same medication as brand-name Victoza, but without the brand name on the label and sold at a lower price point, explained Alyssa Billingsley, PharmD, the senior director of Pharmacy Content at GoodRx in St. Louis, Missouri.

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Just as Wegovy is a higher-dose version of Ozempic to treat obesity, there is a higher-dose version of Victoza — sold under the brand name Saxenda — but a generic version is not yet available.

“This is a positive step forward to making GLP-1 agonist medications more accessible and affordable,” Billingsley told Fox News Digital via email. 

Victoza is manufactured by Novo Nordisk and distributed and sold by Israel-based Teva Pharmaceuticals. (Getty Images)

This class of drugs has a growing list of beneficial applications beyond just treating type 2 diabetes, Billingsley noted, but their cost can be a barrier for many people to access them.

“In general, authorized generics are usually priced at a discount, potentially making them a more affordable option for some people,” she said. 

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“However, some insurers may still prefer brand-name Victoza, even with a lower-cost authorized generic available.”

Patients should check with their insurance provider to confirm which options are covered and what they can expect to pay, Billingsley advised.

This class of drugs has a growing list of benefits, but cost can be a barrier for some patients. (iStock)

Dr. Brett Osborn, a Florida neurologist and longevity expert, agreed that the availability of the first generic GLP-1 is “great news.”

The generic’s lower price point is particularly beneficial for people who have chronic conditions like diabetes, Osborn noted — “where long-term medication use is necessary to prevent downrange effects like vascular disease, strokes and heart attacks, cancer, neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s, and obesity, the latter of which is also a ‘gateway disease,’” he said. 

Differences between liraglutide and semaglutide

There are some differences between the generic version of Victoza and Ozempic and other GLP-1 agonists, doctors noted.

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The new drug’s active ingredient is liraglutide instead of Ozempic’s semaglutide — and it is approved for use in both adults and children age 10 and older who have diabetes.

Semaglutides are not yet approved for children.

While semaglutides like Ozempic are given once each week, liraglutide medications require daily dosing because they have a shorter half-life. (iStock)

There are also dosing differences — while semaglutides like Ozempic are given once each week, liraglutide medications require daily dosing because they have a shorter half-life, the doctor said.

“Each medication has pros and cons,” Osborn said. “At base level, however, the molecules are similar and subserve identical bodily functions — appetite suppression and the promotion of insulin secretion from the pancreas.”

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The most common side effects of liraglutides include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, decreased appetite, indigestion and constipation, according to the company’s release. Other, more serious side effects are possible.

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Patients who experience adverse or lingering side effects should see a health care provider.

Fox News Digital reached out to Teva Pharmaceuticals and Novo Nordisk for comment.

Heading into the hottest part of summer, many people are looking for ways to stay fresh and clean amid high temperatures. 

When preparing for summer activities, following some simple personal hygiene tips can make a big difference, according to dermatologists.

From skin and hair maintenance to sleep routines and fragrances, below are some recommendations from experts for ensuring a fresh summer.

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Olga Skydan, a New York-based certified cosmetologist and dermatologist who works with the face yoga app Luvly, shared with Fox News Digital some of her main “hygiene hacks” for feeling revived in the hottest months of the year. 

Check these out …

1. Use silk pillowcases

Swapping cotton pillowcases for a silk material could help with beauty sleep in more ways than one, according to experts. 

Over time, this habit can “keep the skin looking young and the hair lustrous and silky,” Skydan shared in an email message.

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“Because of its hypoallergenic features, the silk pillowcase reduces skin creases, hair tangling and the emergence of facial rashes after sleep,” she said.

Many people have taken to social media to rave about the positive effects of silk pillowcases on their skin.  (iStock)

Dr. Fayne Frey, a dermatologist in West Nyack, New York, told Fox News Digital that although silk pillowcases could be helpful, potentially, for the skin, more research is needed to confirm this effect.

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“There is no evidence that sleeping on a silk pillowcase minimizes acne breakouts, minimizes the formation of facial wrinkles or prevents split ends or chemical exposure,” she said via email.

“Don’t expect healthier skin or hair from making such a purchase.”

2. Try petroleum jelly before applying perfume

To help extend the longevity of perfume or cologne, Skydan suggested applying petroleum jelly to the skin prior to application. 

One expert recommended applying petroleum jelly to the area where you plan to spray perfume to help extend its longevity. (iStock)

“Apply a small amount of [petroleum jelly] behind your ears, wrists and neck, then spritz perfume over them,” she said. 

“Viola! Your perfume will linger both in the morning and evening.”

3. Wash underarms and feet with benzoyl peroxide, but take extra care if doing so 

To decrease surface bacteria and minimize body odor, Frey suggested washing the underarms and feet with benzoyl peroxide.

She did advise users to be careful when applying the product, however, as it can sometimes cause irritation and redness and could remove color from clothes.

Using benzoyl peroxide could help with reducing body odor in the warm, sweaty summer months, an expert advised, with some caveats. (iStock)

To help minimize side effects, Skydan also recommended checking the usage instructions on the benzoyl peroxide packaging.

For those who can’t tolerate the product, a mild cleanser is a good alternative, Frey said.

4. Use antiperspirant wipes for long-lasting protection

Using antiperspirant wipes could help maintain dryness for those who tend to sweat excessively, Skydan recommended.

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Antiperspirant protects against sweat and odor, while a typical deodorant only prevents odor, according to Dove. 

From taking extra care of the skin to using certain sleep products, dermatologists shared potential hacks for staying fresh and clean this summer.  (iStock)

Antiperspirant wipes should be used at night once a week to “keep you dry for up to seven days,” Skydan said.

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She added, “If you’re a heavy sweater, antiperspirant wipes should be in your arsenal.”

5. Know when to exfoliate your skin

“Exfoliate, exfoliate, exfoliate” seems to be a common tip given by dermatologists and skin experts. 

“Regular exfoliation keeps your skin healthy, smooth and fresh by removing dead skin cells and stimulating new cell growth,” Skydan told Fox News Digital.

“Regular exfoliation keeps your skin healthy, smooth and fresh by removing dead skin cells and stimulating new cell growth,” an expert told Fox News Digital. (iStock)

Frey, however, only recommends exfoliating for the purpose of removing dead cells, dirt and oil — and says to do so with caution, noting that it can be difficult to measure the positive effects.

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“Measuring cell turnover is a very difficult, time-consuming and expensive metric to accurately measure,” she said. 

“If you have healthy skin, forget the exfoliants and scrubs.”

Fox News Digital publishes an array of health pieces all week long to keep you in the know on wellness topics, cancer risk factors, nutrition tips, mental health trends and much more — plus, personal stories of people overcoming surprising obstacles.

As you enjoy the remainder of your weekend and look ahead to the coming week, check out these eight top stories in Health.

These are just a few of what’s new. 

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There are many more to see at http://www.foxnews/health. 

1. Doctors are concerned about Biden’s health

After President Joe Biden’s Oval Office address — during which he stated his intention to remain in office until the end of his term — doctors revealed the potential health risks of staying on the job. Click here to get the story.

2. There’s a history of presidential illnesses

Before Biden, these five past presidents faced their own health issues amid re-election. Woodrow Wilson, FDR, Teddy Roosevelt and other presidents suffered medical complications. Click here to get the story.

Presidents Woodrow Wilson, left, Franklin D. Roosevelt, center, and Theodore Roosevelt all experienced health issues while in office. (Getty Images)

3. Try these tips for restful sleep amid summer travel

It’s common for people to experience sleep struggles while away from home, experts say — but there are ways to improve your rest while on the road. Experts shared seven tips for sleeping well away from home. Click here to get the story.

Experts shared seven tips to help improve sleep while traveling this summer. (iStock)

4. Listeria outbreak kills 2 in US, with others sick

Two people have died so far and 28 have reported illness due to a listeria outbreak in the U.S., the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) alerted on Friday. A doctor shared key prevention tips. Click here to get the story.

In many cases, the bacterial outbreak has been linked to people eating sliced meats purchased at deli counters, the CDC stated. (iStock)

5. Here are smart ways for seniors to age well

From sleeping to socializing, there are certain behaviors and habits that can help seniors age with purpose and vitality. Two gerontologists shared 11 tips for thriving in the golden years. Click here to get the story.

With the number of Americans over age 65 expected to skyrocket by 47% between 2022 and 2050, there’s a growing emphasis on living well into people’s senior years. (iStock)

6. Taylor Swift could have a positive impact on girls’ body image

Pop star Taylor Swift has helped fans achieve a more positive outlook overall on diet culture, disordered eating and body image, according to a new study from the University of Vermont. Psychologists weighed in. Click here to get the story.

Researchers shared with Fox News Digital that the pop star’s music and experiences with disordered eating have had a “profound impact.” (Getty Images; iStock)

7. Extreme temperatures mean seniors are skipping their medical appointments

A new study revealed that hot and cold weather impact seniors’ attendance at doctors’ appointments; experts shared four tips to ensure that aging patients get the health care they need. Click here to get the story.

Seniors are more likely to skip their scheduled medical visits if it’s too hot or too cold outside, according to a new study from the American Journal of Preventative Medicine. (iStock)

8. ‘I swallowed a bug — now what should I do?’

It can be a startling and somewhat disgusting occurrence — but is swallowing a bug dangerous, or just a nuisance? A doctor gave important answers. Click here to get the story.

This week’s health stories included longevity tips, Biden health concerns, swallowing bugs — and travel sleep tips. (iStock; Getty; iStock; iStock)