Is there a treatment for Alzheimer’s?

According to the National Institute on Aging there are a few drugs that indicate they slow down the progress of the disease. As of the date of this post there isn’t a cure.

Most FDA-approved drugs work best for people in the early or middle stages of Alzheimer’s. There are currently no known interventions that will cure Alzheimer’s.

This is why it is so important to get an early diagnosis. If you or your loved one are showing symptoms, please don’t hesitate to see a specialist. You give yourself time to place legal documents in place and let your wishes known to your family. It also gives your family peace of mind knowing what you will want to happen to you in the future.

If you are seeing symptoms in a loved one and they refuse to see a doctor this could be a symptom called Agnosgnosia.

Anosognosia is a condition where you can't recognize other health conditions or problems that you have. Experts commonly describe it as “denial of deficit” or “lack of insight.” It falls under the family of agnosias, all of which happen when your brain can't recognize or process what your senses tell it.Apr 21, 2022.

https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health

Treatment for mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease

From the National Institute on Aging:

Treating the symptoms of Alzheimer’s can help provide people with comfort, dignity, and independence for a longer period of time and also assist their caregivers. Galantamine, rivastigmine, and donepezil are cholinesterase inhibitors that are prescribed for mild to moderate Alzheimer’s symptoms. These drugs may help reduce or control some cognitive and behavioral symptoms.

Cholinesterase inhibitors prevent the breakdown of acetylcholine, a brain chemical believed to be important for memory and thinking. As Alzheimer’s progresses, the brain produces less acetylcholine and, over time, these medicines eventually lose their effectiveness. Because cholinesterase inhibitors work in a similar way, switching from one to another may not produce significantly different results, but a person living with Alzheimer’s may respond better to one drug versus another.

Lecanemab and aducanumab are immunotherapies with FDA Accelerated Approval to treat early Alzheimer’s. These drugs target the protein beta-amyloid to help reduce amyloid plaques, one of the hallmark brain changes in Alzheimer’s. Clinical studies to determine the effectiveness of lecanemab and aducanumab were conducted only in people with early-stage Alzheimer’s, or mild cognitive impairment due to the disease. Study results showed lecanemab slowed the rate of cognitive decline among study participants over the course of 18 months and reduced the levels of amyloid in the brain. Study results for aducanumab showed a reduction in amyloid buildup in the brain, as well, but uncertainty in the drug’s ability to slow cognitive decline. Further research is in progress to test these drugs’ ability to slow cognitive decline.

To gain full FDA approval, the drug companies must conduct additional studies on the clinical benefits of the medications. Currently, insurance may only cover these medications in specific situations.

Before prescribing these medications, doctors may order PET scans or an analysis of cerebrospinal fluid to evaluate whether amyloid deposits are present in the brain. There are possible side effects to taking these medications, including amyloid-related imaging abnormalities (ARIA), which can lead to fluid buildup or bleeding in the brain. ARIA symptoms are generally mild, but in rare instances they may be serious and life-threatening. Due to this potential risk, monitoring with routine MRIs for side effects related to ARIA is required.

Several other disease-modifying medications are being tested in people with mild cognitive impairment or early Alzheimer’s.

Treatment for moderate to severe Alzheimer’s disease

A medication known as memantine, an N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) antagonist, can be prescribed to treat moderate to severe Alzheimer’s. This drug’s main effect is to decrease symptoms, which could enable some people to maintain certain daily functions a little longer than they would without the medication. For example, memantine may help a person in the later stages of the disease maintain their ability to use the bathroom independently for several more months, a benefit for both people with Alzheimer’s and their caregivers.

Memantine is believed to work by regulating glutamate, an important brain chemical. When produced in excessive amounts, glutamate may lead to brain cell death. Because NMDA antagonists work differently from cholinesterase inhibitors, the two types of drugs can be prescribed in combination.

The FDA has also approved donepezil, the rivastigmine patch, and a combination medication of memantine and donepezil for the treatment of moderate to severe Alzheimer’s.

This is an excerpt, for full article please visit: https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/how-alzheimers-disease-treated

Before starting any medications please review and consider the side effects.