Photo: Ian Iott via Flickr
There is no cure for dementia, a devastating group of diseases that eventually rob people of their memory, personality and quality of life. Only a few drugs are approved in the U.S. for short-term use to treat symptoms such as memory loss and confusion. A recent analysis found that many patients remain on these drugs much longer than recommended, resulting in potential health risks and thousands of dollars in additional costs. Continue reading
Photo: Liz SeegertActress Jane Krakowski, talking to Katie Couric, teared up as she spoke about her dad’s diagnosis of early onset dementia at age 61.
Alzheimer’s disease is the sixth leading cause of death in the U.S. Despite decades of research, there’s still no cure, and few options to slow or minimize symptoms. The last Alzheimer’s drug was approved more than 15 years ago, but a new campaign, called Disrupting Dementia, hopes to drive new diagnostics and treatments while also supporting patients and families affected by this devastating condition.
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The population of Americans with Alzheimer’s disease is projected to more than double by 2060, according to a new study by UCLA researchers. By 2060, an estimated 15 million people in the United States will have Alzheimer’s, dementia or mild cognitive impairment, up from about 6.08 million this year. The researchers used computer models to analyze data from the largest studies available on rates of Alzheimer’s progression to estimate the number of people in preclinical and clinical disease states. Continue reading
Image courtesy of the National Institute on Aging/National Institutes of HealthBeta-amyloid plaques and tau in the brain
For the first time, scientists have found a connection between abnormalities in how the brain breaks down glucose and the severity of the signature amyloid plaques and tangles in the brain, as well as the onset of eventual outward symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease.
Photo: Esther Dyson via Flickr
The death of musician Glen Campbell on Aug. 8 after a very public struggle with Alzheimer’s disease has again focused attention on whether science will ever find a drug that truly halts this devastating condition.
Deaths from Alzheimer’s are increasing, according to the nonprofit advocacy group UsAgainstAlzheimer’s. The organization, which has the goal of stopping Alzheimer’s by 2020, lobbies legislators to increase research funding. Some 35 drugs are in various phases of clinical trials. But as this excellent Pacific Standard article reports, the goal of a cure by 2020, or 2025, is iffy at best. Continue reading
Photo: Global Panorama via Flickr
More people are living with Alzheimer’s than ever before — and more are also dying from the disease, according to a new report from the CDC. Alzheimer’s-related deaths in the United States more than doubled between 1999 and 2014 — from 44,536 to 93,541. That’s a 54.5 percent jump in 15 years. Rates were higher among women compared with men and among non-Hispanic whites compared with other racial/ethnic populations.
While most people with the disease still die in nursing homes, the proportion of older adults dying at home also increased significantly during this time frame — from 13.9 percent in 1999 to 24.9 percent in 2014. Continue reading