The FDA cleared the first blood test on Friday to help diagnose Alzheimer's disease among older Americans already exhibiting signs and symptoms of the condition.

The US Food and Drug Administration has given marketing clearance to a blood test to help diagnose Alzheimer’s disease, making the test the first to get signoff to aid in the early detection of the disease in the United States.

The Lumipulse test reduces the need for positron emission tomography (PET) and the need to collect cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) via invasive lumbar puncture, which is required by previously approved tests. The Lumipulse test simply requires a blood sample.