At Heaven at Home, we stay up to date on all the latest Alzheimer’s care news, and in the last several years, it seems a new drug to treat Alzheimer’s disease pops up in the news every week. As dedicated Denton home care experts, we’re always happy to share the latest developments, but never before have a drug’s test results looked quite as encouraging as the latest: aducanumab. In its first clinical study, analysts discovered that a considerable amount of amyloid plaque in the patients’ brains disappeared, and even more remarkable, “This is the first antibody tested where the people who had the greatest removal of amyloid from their brains also saw the greatest stabilization of their clinical decline,” according to Dr. Adam Boxer of the Memory and Aging Center at the University of California, San Francisco.
Unlike existing treatment options with limited and short-term effects, aducanumab’s halting of further memory loss offers an incredible level of hope – and may be available to patients in as early as five years. The idea will be to treat those who are known to be at risk for developing Alzheimer’s before symptoms begin.
Even though we are excited about these developments, there are negatives to address. In those who received the highest dose of the drug in the initial tests, there was brain bleeding and brain swelling. The next group of medical tests will involve a longer amount of time, a larger number of participants, and careful evaluation of risks vs. gains.
Presently affecting about 5.3 million Americans, and expected to increase to an estimated 16 million by the year 2050, the effect of Alzheimer’s disease is disastrous. Currently Alzheimer’s disease is the only cause of death within the top ten in the U.S. without a cure or prevention, and one in three seniors dies with a form of dementia.
Additionally, the financial stress is staggering to our nation: $236 billion in 2016 alone, with half of that cost associated with Medicare – ready to grow to a whopping $1.1 trillion by the year 2050, according to the Alzheimer’s Association.
At Heaven at Home Senior Care in Denton, TX, we would like nothing better than to report when the struggles of Alzheimer’s disease are a memory. Meanwhile, we’re ready with customized dementia care, provided by trained care assistants who bring a better quality of life and wellbeing to seniors diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. Whether the need is for assistance with personal care such as light housework and laundry services, bathing and dressing, transportation and errand-running, or just a patient, kind assistant to interact with the senior to the greatest of his or her ability, Heaven at Home Senior Care can help.
Contact us at 866-381-0500 for assistance and Alzheimer’s care resources, or to talk more with us about how our Denton senior care providers can assist you and your loved one throughout the stages of Alzheimer’s disease.