Nearly 18,000 people over 65 in Andalusia were diagnosed with some form of dementia in 2025. Around 12,000 of those diagnoses were Alzheimer’s disease, which affects close to 100,000 people in the region. Early diagnosis and research into treatments that could slow the disease’s progression are among the aims of work being carried out at Andalusian health centres under the Regional Ministry of the Presidency, Health and Emergencies.
One recent development is the gradual introduction of blood biomarker tests in specialised clinical practice to support early Alzheimer’s diagnosis. The tests can provide relevant information about the disease from a blood sample and may make diagnosis easier in some cases. Antonio Sanz, the regional government’s first vice-president and minister for the Presidency, Health and Emergencies, said the tests could improve diagnostic accuracy and patient care, and in some cases offer a less invasive, more accessible and more cost-efficient option. He made the remarks for World Alzheimer’s Day and Other Dementias, observed on 21 September.
The tests have begun to be introduced in specialist care at Andalusian hospitals in recent months. The work is supported by multicentre research projects, including the Andalusian Alzheimer’s Neuro-Reca Cohort (ANRAC), recently published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease. Sanz said the coordinated research was helping bring scientific advances into clinical practice. The project was conducted under the Andalusia-Roche Alliance in Precision Medical Neurology, with nine hospitals in the Andalusian Health Service taking part.
Researchers analysed more than 300 samples from patients seen at the hospitals’ memory units. The findings support the potential use of p-tau217 and other blood biomarkers and establish cut-off values adjusted to the Andalusian population, with the aim of supporting their safe use in routine hospital practice.
Andalusia has been introducing Alzheimer’s-specific biomarkers in public hospitals since 2023, using protocols intended to ensure reliable results. The process began with cerebrospinal fluid biomarker testing for patients whose clinical profiles could make diagnosis uncertain, including people with early-onset disease, atypical non-amnestic presentations or rapidly progressive illness. The tests are intended for use by neurologists and cognitive-disorder specialists in the public health system. They require a lumbar puncture and have been available in all Andalusian provinces for more than a year. The source reports that annual testing has reached 1,000, although the unit stated in the release is unclear.
Research also covers the safety, tolerability and pharmacokinetics of medicines; links between Alzheimer’s disease and conditions such as type 2 diabetes and vascular dementia; and the cellular and molecular mechanisms involved in neurodegeneration. These studies use transgenic animal models and human samples.