Blood Draw Information
Who is eligible for a blood draw?
Participants who complete an in-person interview are eligible to participate in the blood draw.
Why is this study asking people for a blood sample?
We are asking people to give a small blood sample because research shows that certain proteins and other markers in a person’s blood can provide additional information about that person’s health, including their brain health. Having this additional information will allow us to better understand your health. We can make connections between the responses you give in the interview and your blood test results which will give us greater insights into the factors that impact your life.
What’s involved in the blood draw?
If you agree to participate in the blood draw, our phlebotomy team from ExamOne/Quest Diagnostics will reach out to you directly to schedule your blood draw appointment. The appointment can take place at your home or at another quiet space you agree to. The scheduler will work with you to find a suitable time. On the day of your appointment, our trained and licensed phlebotomist will come to your home (or agreed location) and collect a small amount of your blood, 40 mL or about 2-3 tablespoons. The appointment should take about 20 min in total.
Can I cancel or reschedule my blood draw appointment? How?
Yes, if you need to cancel or reschedule your blood draw appointment at any time, you can contact the schedulers at ExamOne at (833) 996-2771. Please note this number is ONLY for blood draw scheduling. For other questions, please contact the study team at the number or email listed below.
Do I get anything in return for participating in the blood draw?
If you agree to participate in the blood draw you will receive $50 as a token of appreciation for your time. Additionally, you will receive some of your blood test results by mail after completing the blood draw.
Which blood results are being returned?
Blood tests of heart disease risk
- High Density Lipoprotein (HDL), Low Density Lipoprotein (LDL) and Total Cholesterol
- Triglycerides
Blood tests of diabetes risk
- Glucose
- Hemoglobin A1c
Why are these results being returned?
There are two reasons why we are returning the tests listed above:
- These tests are CLIA-certified, meaning that they are the same quality as you would get at a doctor’s office.
- These tests are directly clinically-actionable, meaning that there are specific medications your doctor could prescribe or behaviors you could do to help change the levels of these blood tests to be more healthy.
We recommend talking to a health care professional about these results once they arrive.
How and when will the results be returned?
They will arrive in the mail within 8 weeks after the blood draw appointment.
Which results are not being returned?
Blood tests of general health and immune system functioning, including:
- Creatine, Homocysteine, C-reactive protein, Interleukin-6, and other immune and general health markers.
Blood tests of brain health
- Indicators of Beta amyloid, Tau protein, and other brain health markers.
Why are these results not being returned?
There are two reasons why we are not returning the tests listed above:
- These tests are being conducted at a research laboratory that does not have the same level of certification as the types of blood tests you get at a doctor’s office. This means that there may be more variation in the test values.
- These tests, while useful for research purposes, are not clinically-actionable. This means there is not a specific medication or health behavior your doctor would recommend to change the levels of these blood tests to be more healthy.
Will you store my blood for future research?
It’s up to you. We will ask for your permission to store your blood sample for analyzing in the future, and you can decide if you want to allow us to store your blood. Medical science is moving forward all the time, and as new tests are developed, we may be able to learn more from your blood sample in the future.
Who will have access to my stored blood?
We plan to share the information collected in this study, including from the results of your blood tests, with other researchers so they can do additional research. These results will not contain your name or any other information that can identify you.
Your blood sample (that is, the actual blood itself) will not be shared with anyone outside the study team.
Will I ever receive additional results from additional testing?
Among other tests, your blood sample will be used to measure proteins that researchers believe are related to brain health. Testing for these proteins is new, and researchers are not yet sure that they provide meaningful clinical information. This is exactly why we want to examine them in this study: we hope that we can learn if these measures are helpful in understanding brain health as people age.
But – science on brain health is rapidly developing, while these tests do not have clinical value currently, they may have value in the future.
Therefore, if you agree to the blood draw, you will have the option to say that you are interested in learning more about your results on these tests, if the study team, in consultation with our advisory boards, determines that these protein measures have clinical value at some point in the future. We are not sure at this time whether or not this will happen or when, but if this is something you’re interested in, you can let us know.
Who do I contact for more information?
Call Toll Free: (800) 759-7947
