Alzheimer’s Diagnosis Shifts focus, Raising Concerns of Overdiagnosis and Unneeded Treatment
brussels – A shift in how Alzheimer’s disease is diagnosed-increasingly relying on biological markers like amyloid levels in the brain before the onset of dementia symptoms-is sparking debate among medical experts, who warn of potential overdiagnoses, heightened anxiety for patients, and the risk of unnecessary medical interventions.
Recent research, including a study published in Alzheimer’s & dementia, indicates individuals identified with elevated amyloid levels express greater worry about developing the disease. This concern is amplified by a new approach to defining Alzheimer’s as a biological process detectable through biomarkers, a move criticized by Eric Worda and a colleague in JAMA Internal Medicine as “highly problematic” due to limited data linking biomarkers to actual dementia development. They argue a diagnosis based solely on biological markers risks “overdiagnoses, fear and unnecessary measures.”
Even the Alzheimer’s Association working group, proponents of the revised disease definition, acknowledge the potential for premature diagnosis, stating asymptomatic individuals can be diagnosed but should not be diagnosed clinically at this time, as detailed in a publication in Alz-Journals. Experts writing in The Lancet Neurology in 2020 cautioned that overdiagnosis could cause “ample” harm, a risk further heightened by the recent EU approval of two new Alzheimer’s drugs and a blood test, creating significant financial incentives for manufacturers and investors.
