Over 6 million people in the United States are currently living with Alzheimer's. The Alzheimer's Association estimated that this number will skyrocket to 13 million people by 2050.
However, a new development may be a positive step toward reducing those numbers.
And that development is a drug called lecanemab.
Alzheimer’s Disease in the United States
With a disease that kills 1 in 3 seniors in America, this certainly isn’t the first time that scientists have tried to create a drug to address Alzheimer’s. But these studies take time, often more time than people suffering with the disease have.
Now, there’s new hope in sight. Studies of lecanemab just wrapped up phase 3 and showed very promising results. A large trial showed that lecanemab slowed the progress of Alzheimer’s disease by 27% (compared to a placebo).
What Is Alzheimer’s Disease?
According to the CDC, Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia that begins with mild memory loss and may progress to more serious memory loss coupled with difficulties carrying out conversations or daily tasks.
The disease affects the parts of the brain that control thought, memory, and language, and erodes those functions over time.
What Are the Symptoms of Alzheimer’s Disease?
Though some people think memory loss is a natural part of aging, Alzheimer’s disease is not.
Memory loss is the main symptom of Alzheimer’s, but there are other important ones to watch out for as well:
● Changes in mood or personality
● Misplacing things often and struggling to find them
● Struggles with doing simple tasks at home
● Difficulty handling finances
● Repeating questions and phrases
● Getting lost in known areas
It is unknown exactly what triggers the development of Alzheimer’s disease but there are a number of things that are known to increase your risk:
Age. Age is the biggest determining factor in the development of this disease. Studies show that the chances of getting Alzheimer’s doubles every 5 years after the age of 65.
Family history. It is possible to inherit genes from your parents that make you more likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease.
Head injury. Studies show that people who have experienced a serious head injury have a higher chance of developing Alzheimer’s.
Smoking
Obesity
Diabetes
High blood pressure
High cholesterol
Is There a Cure for Alzheimer’s Disease?
While there is no cure for Alzheimer’s disease, there is growing scientific evidence that healthy lifestyle choices can help reduce the risk for cognitive decline.
New medications may also help to temporarily reduce the symptoms, and more are being developed that may be able to help slow the progression of the disease.
How Can Lecanemab Help?
This drug developed by Eisai Co Ltd and Biogen is an intravenous antibody that works to remove amyloid deposits.
Those amyloids naturally occur in the brain, but for people with Alzheimer’s disease, they have abnormal levels of these amyloids. This causes them to clump together into deposits that can disrupt cell function.
Previously, failed Alzheimer’s drugs such as Adulhelm, crenezumab, and more have tried to remove those already-formed amyloid deposits. Unfortunately, of the 63 compounds that have been created to modify Alzheimer’s disease, 31 failed in phase two and 32 failed in phase three.
However, lecanemab is different. Rather than waiting until the amyloid deposits are already formed, this new drug targets the amyloids before they even have a chance to clump together.
The other major difference between lecanemab and Adulhelm specifically is that the failed drug Aduhelm was approved because it proved efficient at clearing plaque. However, the new lecanemab drug is being lauded for its ability to clear plaque as well as something much bigger: its ability to help slow cognitive decline.
Eisai aims to have this new medical hope in the hands of patients with Alzheimer’s disease by the end of 2023.
Alzheimer’s and Mental Health
People are aware of the main symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease (memory loss, trouble speaking, etc.). However, the side of the disease that many people don’t see is the effect that cognitive decline can have on mental health.
In the book Life Force, Tony Robbins talks about CRISPR gene-editing technology as a way to help alleviate the anxiety and depression that Alzheimer’s patients often experience. This technology works to cut DNA, which allows natural DNA repair to kick into gear.
Get your copy of Life Force HERE.
