alzheimer ’ s
6.9 MILLION AMERICANS HAVE ALZHEIMER ’ S DISEASE :
HOWTOREDUCE YOUR RISK
WRITTEN BY KEN ALLTUCKER
Anew report estimates 6.9 million older Americans are living with Alzheimer ’ s disease in2024 , an increase of about 200,000 cases of the mind-robbing disease from 2023 and “ a significant public health crisis ,” according to an expert .
Another 5million to7million adults have mild cognitive impairment , aset of early changes tomemory and thinking linked to Alzheimer ’ s , accordingtoanAlzheimer ’ s Association ’ sannual facts and figures report released in March .
Thereportalsohighlightsgoodnews . Other studies indicate that dementia rates have declined over the past 25 years asmore adults are achieving higher levels of education , staying active and exercising , reducing their blood pressure , avoiding cigarettes and staying socially engaged .
Adults face ahigher risk of Alzheimer ’ sand other typesof dementia as they age , and the numberof Americans 65 and olderisprojected to swellfrom58million in 2022 to 82 million in2050 . In just six years , the youngest baby boomers will be 65 .
The nation ’ saging population will create profound economic and social challenges . The annual cost of caring forpeople with Alzheimer ’ sorother types of dementia will be $ 360 billion in2024 , up $ 15 billion from a year ago , the report said .
Medicare and Medicaid will cover the bulk of that , spending $ 231 billion thisyear tocare forpeoplewith Alzheimer ’ s and dementia . Public and private spending to take care of Alzheimer ’ sand dementia patients will skyrockettonearly $ 1trillionin2050 , the report projects .
“ Our population isaging , sowereally need toaddress these issues ,” says Sam Fazio , theAlzheimer Association ’ sseniordirector of qualitycareand psychosocial research . “ Alzheimer ’ s disease remains asignificant public health crisis .”
LIFESTYLE CHANGES REDUCE RISK
Other Alzheimer ’ s experts not involved with the report say more Americans are taking steps to reduce their risk for Alzheimer ’ s or dementia .
Research suggests up to 40 % of dementia cases can be prevented through lifestyle changes , says Dr . Keith Vossel , a neurologist and director of the MaryS . Easton Center for Alzheimer ’ s Research and Care at the Universityof California , Los Angeles .
Vossel says people who exercise regularly , do not smoke and achieve higher levels of education tend to have lowerrisk . Reducing blood pressure in midlife , in particular , islinkedtolowerrisk , hesaid .
Paying close attention to elevated blood pressure is especially important , Vossel says . “ We know that lowering blood pressure among people with elevated blood pressure in middle life canlower risk of dementia or ( mild cognitive impairment ) later on .”
CAREGIVERS SPEND 31 HOURS A WEEK ON ALZHEIMER ’ S , DEMENTIA PATIENTS
Families and othercaregiverstake on an array of tasks , scheduling appointments and feeding and caring for people with Alzheimer ’ sordementia . Thereport says 11.5 million relatives and caregivers provided more than 18 million hours of unpaid care last year .
That amounted to a full-time job for caregivers who spent an average of nearly 31 hours a week caring for a person with Alzheimer ’ sordementia .
In July , theCenters forMedicare & Medicaid Services will launch an initiative to improve thequality of life forpeople with dementia , allowing them to remain at home and reduce the strain on unpaid caregivers . Themodel , called Guiding an Improved Dementia Experience , will coordinate care and providea24 / 7supportline . Families also can access care navigators who can connect patients and caregivers to services and support . Doctors and clinics who participate will receive a monthly per-patient fee from Medicare .
Faziosaysaccesstonavigatorsiscrucial because the reportshowed thatfamilies live through a great deal of stress and that workers in the field believe the health care system is not equipped to help people living with dementia . President Joe Biden recently expanded a similarnavigator plan forcancer patients in which privatehealthinsurers will coversuchservices .
Families “ really want help and need help to navigate the system ,” Fazio says .
NEW DRUGS , OLD TARGET
Of the eight drugs approved for Alzheimer ’ spatients , onlytwo attemptto attack thedisease and slow memory and cognitive decline . Biogen has discontinued oneof those drugs , aducanumab , sold under the brand Aduhelm . The Food and Drug Administration approved the drug despitemixed clinical trial results . Biogen also faced withering criticism when it launched Aduhelm , initially priced at $ 56,000 a year .
In January2023 , Eisaiwon FDAapproval for its amyloid beta-busting drug , lecanemab . Sold under the brand name Leqembi , the drug is intended forpatients in the early stages of the disease , the population studied in clinical trials .
TheAlzheimer ’ s Associationreportnotes that the benefits of lecanemab “ in the short term maybeimperceptible ” because it ’ s designed to slow thedisease , not reverse cognitivedecline . The reportsays the longterm resultsof the drug are notclear .
Earlierthis month , the FDAdelayed action forEli Lilly ’ s drug donanemab , the drug manufacturer said . The FDA expects to convene an advisory committee todiscuss the treatment .
Clinical trialsof all three amyloid-removing drugs have side effects visibleon brain scans , such as brain swelling and bleeding . Some patientsdon ’ t noticesymptoms . Othershave experienced headaches , dizziness , nausea , confusion and vision changes .
Though drugmakers largely have focused on drugs to targetand clearamyloid from thebrainsof Alzheimer ’ s patients , the reportsays , otherstudies areexamining different methods of attacking the disease . Other potential drugs arebeing studied to limit the accumulation of tau protein , inflammation , alteredcellmetabolismand damage from toxic oxygenmolecules , the reportsaid . n
@ 201magazine ( 201 ) HEALTH 2024 EDITION
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