A groundbreaking trial exploring the potential of blood tests to diagnose dementia is now underway in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, marking a significant step toward improving the UK’s dementia diagnosis rate.
This initiative, led by the READ-OUT research team at Dementias Platform UK (DPUK), seeks to address gaps in diagnosis and enhance early detection of dementia, ultimately improving outcomes for people living with the condition.
The trial is part of the Blood Biomarker Challenge – a multi-million-pound programme led by Alzheimer’s Society and Alzheimer’s Research UK, supported with funds raised by players of People’s Postcode Lottery. It aims to explore whether a panel of blood tests can complement existing diagnostic pathways in NHS memory clinics, helping clinicians provide faster and more accurate diagnoses for people living with dementia.
The team will assess multiple new and existing blood tests, looking at a range of dementia types including Alzheimer’s disease, vascular dementia, frontotemporal dementia, and dementia with Lewy bodies. The researchers will also look at whether the blood tests can help detect these diseases at various stages and if the results need to be interpreted differently in people from different ethnic backgrounds or with other health conditions such as kidney disease.
The first participants joined the study in Oxford in January 2025, marking the start of a nationwide drive to recruit over 3,100 participants from 28 DPUK sites across the UK. These sites, located in NHS memory clinics and community buses, aim to recruit participants from a diverse range of communities, ensuring the research is inclusive and reflects the wider population.
This research will provide vital evidence needed to integrate blood tests into routine clinical practice in the NHS, ultimately improving diagnosis speed and accuracy, and ensuring that more people in Cambridgeshire and across the UK receive timely treatments and support.
Dr Ben Underwood, Associate Professor of Applied and Translational Old Age Psychiatry at the University of Cambridge, Honorary Consultant Psychiatrist at Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust and Principal Investigator for READ-OUT in Cambridgeshire, said: “I am very excited that this study is coming to Cambridgeshire and Peterborough. Finding blood tests to help diagnose dementia is something we have been trying to do for years. We know these tests work well in research trials – now we want to see if they work in normal NHS clinics. If we can demonstrate that, these tests could quickly become part of routine NHS care.”
Laura Chow, head of charities at People’s Postcode Lottery, said: “We are thrilled to see the groundbreaking blood test trial for dementia diagnosis now underway in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough. This marks a pivotal moment in the fight against dementia and highlights the immense value of funding raised by players of People’s Postcode Lottery. Early diagnosis is crucial in improving outcomes for individuals living with dementia, and I am delighted that our players are supporting a project that has the potential to transform how the condition is detected and managed. We look forward to seeing the positive impact this innovative work could have across the UK.”
For anyone concerned about dementia symptoms, please contact your GP or visit www.nhs.uk/conditions/dementia.
