W ith two new treatments for Alzheimer’s disease approved in recent years, there’s growing hope for people at risk of the memory-robbing condition. But tests to detect the condition still lag behind. Earlier diagnosis would mean that people could take advantage of the drugs sooner, when the medicines are most effective.

A newly developed blood test for Alzheimer's disease not only aids in the diagnosis of the neurodegenerative condition but also indicates how far it has progressed, according to a study by researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St.