Nearly half of Alzheimer’s cases are mild, supporting a focus on early intervention
The great prevalence of mild disease underscores the need for interventions that may slow decline or prevent progression in dementia, researchers contend.
Alzheimer’s Disease
Alzheimer’s drug slows mental, functional decline in Eli Lilly trial
Participants who took donanemab for 76 weeks showed 32% slower decline in thinking and daily function compared with those in a placebo group.
New evidence pinpoints health clusters that raise dementia risk
Older adults with diagnoses of neuropsychiatric and cardiovascular multimorbidity had the highest likelihood of developing dementia over 12 years, investigators report.
Exercise may keep mild cognitive impairment from advancing to dementia
Study participants who began a weekly exercise routine after diagnosis with MCI had an 11% lower risk of progressing to Alzheimer’s when compared with people who did not exercise at all, a new study finds. Those who stopped exercising appeared to lose that advantage.
FDA advisers vote ‘no’ on drug that may slow Alzheimer’s progression
If approved by the FDA, aducanumab would be the first-ever drug marketed to slow progression of the brain-wasting disease, according to its developer. But an advisory committee was unconvinced of the drug’s efficacy, voting 8 to 1 against recommending approval.
Alzheimer’s drug gets FDA support ahead of Friday vote on approval
Documents released on Wednesday show that the agency’s staff members already are enthusiastic about the drug’s prospects. If approved, aducanumab could be the first drug on the market to slow Alzheimer’s progression.
First Alzheimer’s commercial blood test to detect amyloid beta hits the market
A new blood test that detects the presence of Alzheimer’s brain plaques on Thursday became the first to hit the commercial market on a wide scale.
Rural seniors with dementia have longer nursing home stays, study finds
Rural Medicare recipients with Alzheimer’s and related dementias have longer nursing home stays and shorter survival time following diagnosis than their urban peers, investigators say.
Falls may be an Alzheimer’s precursor, study finds
Early brain changes may be the culprit when an older person with no signs of cognitive decline has a fall, researchers say. Such falls tend to occur about five years before memory loss and confusion arise.
Sleep apnea severity tied to greater buildup of Alzheimer’s brain plaques
In a research first, Alzheimer’s-like amyloid plaques have been found in the brains of people with clinically verified obstructive sleep apnea, investigators say. CPAP treatment appeared to have little effect on these brain changes.
