A new drug, blood tests, and a specialized village are among the four things that have given people living with Alzheimer’s hope over the past four years. And further progress may be on the way to help all those dealing with dementia.
A new drug, blood tests, and a specialized village are among the four advances that have given people with Alzheimer’s hope over the past four years. And further progress could be on the way to help everyone, young and old, in families suffering from dementia.
There has been significant progress in recent years, four of which we have listed below to celebrate World Alzheimer’s Day on 21 September.
What is Alzheimer’s?
Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of dementia in the elderly, affecting more than 55 million people, according to Alzheimer’s Disease International.
The name is a reference to Dr. Alois Alzheimer. In 1906 he noticed changes in the brain tissue of a dead woman with symptoms that included memory loss and speech problems.
Sara Imarisio, Head of Research at Alzheimer’s Research UK, told the BBC: “Research is improving the way we diagnose, prevent and treat Alzheimer’s. Many years of pioneering research funding, supporting bright people with ideas bold has brought us to this point, with several potential treatments for Alzheimer’s on the horizon. “
1. “Great Leap” in Genetic Influence Research (2022)
A landmark study, published this year, linked 42 more genes to Alzheimer’s disease for the first time.
Scientists from eight countries, including France, the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia, analyzed the genetic material of 111,000 people with Alzheimer’s.
They identified 75 genes associated with an increased risk of developing the disease, including 42 not previously implicated in the condition.
Their findings, published in Nature Genetics, suggest that Alzheimer’s disease is caused by many factors, with evidence that there is a specific protein involved in inflammation.
Study co-author Julie Williams described the work as “a major leap forward in our mission to understand Alzheimer’s and ultimately produce the many treatments needed to delay or prevent the disease.”
“The findings support our growing knowledge that Alzheimer’s is an extremely complex condition, with multiple triggers, biological pathways and cell types involved in its development.”
Other research has shown that lifestyle factors, such as smoking and some diets, influence who can develop Alzheimer’s. But researchers believe genetics poses the greatest risk.
2. Alzheimer’s village (2020)
A new approach to the care and treatment of Alzheimer’s disease are villages built specifically to allow patients to live apparently normal lives, but with the vigilance of caregivers.
France created an Alzheimer’s village in 2020, inspired by a “dementia village” in the Netherlands.
It is located in Dax in southwestern France and offers a grocery store, hairdresser and music recitals. It was designed to resemble the traditional medieval “bastide” – a fortified town common in the local area of ​​the Landes – to maintain a sense of normality.
The responsible architect told the newspaper Le Monde that the village would not have a visible fence, but safe paths, well integrated into the social and cultural life of the city.
Madeleine Elissalde, 82, was one of the first to move.
“It’s like being at home,” Elissalde said. “We are well looked after.”
Aurore, Elissalde’s granddaughter, said: “Your memory loss is less severe.” “She is happy, she has rediscovered her pleasure in her life.”
One result of this Alzheimer’s village is that the people living near it seem to change their views on those living with Alzheimer’s.
A survey of people in the village’s host city was published by the Alzheimer’s Association in August 2022. And it showed a lower score on feelings of disgust for people with Alzheimer’s after the village opened, compared to another. city ​​without the village of Alzheimer’s, where attitudes have remained the same.
3. The United States approved the first new Alzheimer’s drug in 20 years (2021)
The first new treatment for Alzheimer’s disease in nearly 20 years was approved by U.S. regulators in June 2021.
Aducanumab targets the underlying cause of Alzheimer’s disease, the most common form of dementia, rather than its symptoms.
In March 2019, the advanced international trials of aducanumab, involving nearly 3,000 patients, were suspended. An analysis followed which showed that the drug, given as a monthly infusion, was no better at slowing memory impairment and thinking problems than a placebo.
But later in the same year, the American manufacturer Biogen analyzed more data and concluded that the drug worked, as long as it was given at higher doses.
The company also said it slowed cognitive decline significantly.
However, in December 2021, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) denied approval. EMA said aducanumab does not appear to be effective in treating adults with early symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease.
At the time of its approval in the United States, several scientists said there was little evidence of benefits, despite targeting amyloid, a protein that forms abnormal lumps in the brains of people with Alzheimer’s.
The new drug is being sold in the United States, but there are doubts about its effectiveness elsewhere.
4. Blood tests before Alzheimer’s symptoms appear (2019)
Scientists said in 2019 they could accurately identify people prone to the disease before symptoms appear.
US scientists have been able to use blood levels of amyloid to help predict its accumulation in the brain.
Researchers from the University of Washington School of Medicine in Missouri, writing in the journal Neurology, measured the levels of beta amyloid protein in the blood of 158 adults over the age of 50. They wanted to see if the brain scans showed similar levels.
Analyzes showed similar levels, but only 88% of the time, not accurate enough for a diagnostic test.
When the researchers combined this information with two other risk factors for the disease – being over 65 and people with a genetic variant called APOE4 – the accuracy of the blood test improved to a level of 94 percent.
British experts interviewed by the BBC in 2019 said the results are promising and a step towards a reliable blood test to detect Alzheimer’s.
However, medical experts also warn against relying on blood tests at this time.
The Alzheimer’s Association of the USA states, “A number of dementia screening tests have been marketed directly to consumers. None of these tests have been scientifically proven to be accurate.”
“For these and other reasons, the Alzheimer’s Association believes home screening tests cannot and should not be used as a substitute for a thorough examination by a qualified physician.”
In summary, there is the potential for blood tests for Alzheimer’s, but diagnosing a doctor who evaluates a patient’s behavior is critical in determining if symptoms exist.
Future of Alzheimer’s and Dementia Treatment
According to Sara Imarisio, head of research at Alzheimer’s Research UK, there are more than 150 drugs in clinical trials for the disease. But the approval process for use in patients is long.
“In the future, prevention strategies that combine drug treatments and lifestyle changes may be the most effective strategy for limiting the impact of dementia. Although new drugs take many years to develop, lifestyle changes are available. for all of us “.
Bottom line, reducing your risk by taking various healthy lifestyle measures will help reduce your chances of developing Alzheimer’s.
– This text was published in https://www.bbc.com/portuguese/geral-62979270
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