Roughly half of the estimated 7.4 million Americans living with Alzheimer's disease are never diagnosed, according to the Alzheimer's Association Southwest Rocky Mountain Region.New research, presented at the 2026 Alzheimer's A ssociation International Conference, found a blood test may detect the risk of cognitive decline from Alzheimer's disease a decade before symptoms appear beyond what brain scans and genetic testing provide.A blood draw in the physician's office can identify if a patient has p-tau217. Amyloid plaques and tau tangles are the hallmark pathologic features of Alzheimers, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH). "The sooner you could get diagnosed and understand that 'hey, maybe I do have these symptoms, maybe I do have this propensity to develop Alzheimer's,' the sooner you can get on FDA-approved medications," Executive Director for the Alzheimer's Association of Colorado Valerie Lombardi told Denver7. Watch the full interview with Lombardi, in the video player below. New research on blood test for Alzheimer'sSymptom-free older adults with high levels of p-tau217 have an estimated 78% risk of developing cognitive impairment over 10 years, according to the research presented at the Alzheimer's Association International Conference.Advocates are working with national lawmakers to get the Alzheimer's Screening and Prevention Act passed in Congress, to have Medicare to pay for this screening. ...read more read less