Odds I have ALZ?

NanaHobbit

I tested .34 for lab test PTAU217 and 1.48 for PTAU181. My PCP ran these tests as I have noticed a dramatic change in my mental abilities. I have not been scheduled for any radiology exam yet. My PCP will see me in two weeks.

Based on your experiences, what do you think are the odds I have ALZ? The waiting to know for sure is so hard.
Thank you

Dorse

I would think that you need an MRI, & Pet scan along with other testing. Those are the test I had before being diagnosed.

Dorse

lfaust58

I agree. Have your doctor prescribe a MRI first. Depending on the results of that, the doctor may prescribe a PET scan. That's how I got diagnosed

LBC83

https://alzconnected.org/discussion/74758/odds-i-have-alz

The responses you are getting are "old school", in the sense that up until recently, people received amyloid PET scans or lumbar punctures to confirm the presence of amyloid plaque.

Furthermore, there are various blood tests now on the market to test for AD. These different tests use different techniques to measure the amount of Ptau217 and Ptau181 in the blood. Depending on the technique used to measure the amounts, you get different results. Sort of like using a thermometer to measure temperature, the results could be in degrees C or degrees F.

So you will need to wait for your Dr to interpret the results from your specific test.

But with that caveat, I had a blood test earlier this week. In my results for Ptau181, the test said "results greater than 0.97 pg/mL in patients over 55 are correlated with amyloid beta plaque pathology as determined by amyloid PET imaging." Your Ptau217 results are way below 0.97 (assuming your units are in pg/mL), so by this measure, you don't seem to have amyloid plaque. But again, these results may apply only to my particular blood test, and not to your blood test.