Many people fear Alzheimer's because symptoms usually appear late, when the damage has already progressed. Tech entrepreneur and longevity enthusiast Bryan Johnson believes the risk can be caught much earlier. In a video on Instagram he said, "I had a marker for cognitive decline and I reversed it. The FDA just approved a blood test that can spot signs of Alzheimer's before the symptoms emerge. It's called Lumipulse G and it identifies a protein in your blood called p-tau 217."
Johnson said his baseline level was 0.14, and that a course of hyperbaric oxygen therapy lowered it by 28%. "I know a lot of you are scared of data and knowing, but honestly, it's the best thing for your health. Measure yourself, learn your risks, and take the appropriate actions." The Indian Express asked Dr Priya Raghavan, Senior Consultant Psychiatrist at Cadabam's Hospitals, how much weight such markers, tests and therapies deserve.
How reliable is the Lumipulse G test?
"The Lumipulse G test is an important step forward because it measures proteins in the blood that are strongly linked with Alzheimer's," Dr Raghavan told indianexpress.com. "While this test increases the chances of detecting risk much earlier than traditional methods, it is not yet considered a stand-alone diagnostic tool. It can indicate a higher risk, but needs to be interpreted alongside other assessments such as clinical evaluation, cognitive testing, and imaging. At this stage, the test offers a promising early signal rather than a definitive answer."
What about hyperbaric oxygen therapy?
"The protein p-tau 217 is one of the early biological markers linked to Alzheimer's," she explained. A rise in it can signal the beginning of abnormal brain changes before memory problems appear, and if a therapy lowers it, some Alzheimer's-related processes may be slowing down.
"Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is being studied for its potential to improve blood flow and reduce inflammation in the brain. Early studies are encouraging but the scientific community does not yet consider it a proven treatment. More large-scale and long-term trials are needed before it can be recommended with confidence."
The downside of measuring too early or too often
Tracking health data can motivate healthier living, but there are risks in doing it too early or too frequently. "Constant testing can lead to unnecessary anxiety, false alarms, and in some cases even over-medicalisation of normal ageing. With conditions like Alzheimer's, not every biomarker change means the disease is inevitable. The key is to balance curiosity with caution and to interpret results only with the guidance of a qualified professional. Early awareness is valuable, but it must be paired with a realistic understanding of what science can currently tell us," Dr Raghavan concluded.
Support at Cadabam's Hospitals
Worried about memory changes in yourself or a parent? Cadabam's Hospitals offers specialist assessment and care for Alzheimer's disease and dementia, led by geriatric psychiatrists who interpret test results in the full clinical context and support families at every stage. Our team is here to help.