The holidays can be especially tough for those facing Alzheimer’s. Experts say early diagnosis is key, with new treatments offering hope and more time with family.
SAN ANTONIO — The holidays are a time for family and friends. But it can be a very trying time for those with Alzheimer’s disease and their caregivers, because a season of making memories, can be a season of losing memory for millions.
Finding a treatment so slow down the progression of Alzheimer’s is a top priority for researchers. Being diagnosed with the disease early is a must to living as long of a healthy and happy life as possible.
Dr. Wendell Helveston, a neurologist with the Mississippi Neurological Institute told KENS 5, “We know that people who get early treatment and diagnosis do better in with the treatment than in people who have delayed diagnosis and treatment.”
The Mayo Clinic says most people who are diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease are age 65 and up. That is about one-in-nine people in the U.S. age 65 and older. About 1 out of every 1,000 adults between the ages of 30 and 64 are diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s.
“If the diagnosis is delayed too long, they may not be candidates to be treated, with drugs that can reduce amyloid plaques and protein in the brain,” Helveston added.
Some cognitive signs of early Alzheimer’s include memory loss, difficulty with problem-solving, difficulty making decisions, trouble with language and confusion about time, place or people.
Some of the behavioral signs of early Alzheimer’s are withdrawal from social activities, changes in mood, difficulty with daily tasks and loss of interest in hobbies and anxiety or irritability.
“We can’t cure but we can slow down the progression and give people hope for more time with their loved one,” said Helveston.
One recently FDA-approved treatment for early-Alzheimer’s is Leqembi. Dr. Helveston says treatments like this give patients more time with those that mean the most to them.
“That has been demonstrated to reduce amyloid plaques and disease progression by 27%, in patients who have early Alzheimer’s disease and mild cognitive impairment,” he said.