Work continues toward Alzheimer’s treatments, prevention as more than 122,000 Missourians battle disease
EDITOR'S NOTE: The total money raised from last year's Columbia Walk to End Alzheimer's has been corrected.
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
The Alzheimer's Association says more than 122,000 Missourians 65 years and older are battling Alzheimer's Disease, which has been documented for nearly 120 years. In that time, multiple treatments have been approved by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration but there is still no permanent cure.
Alzheimer's Disease was first discovered in 1906. Today, across the county nearly 7 million people are living with the disease. The Alzheimer's Association predicts that number will grow to nearly 13 million by 2050.
In 1993, the FDA approved the first drug for treatment which targeted Alzheimer's memory and thinking symptoms. The Alzheimer's Association says four additional drugs were approved over the following decade.
In the past few years, multiple treatments have been approved that target the disease in its early stages. In 2021, aducanumab was the first FDA-approved therapy that targeted the biology but is set to be discontinued on Friday due to the manufacturer Biogen "reprioritizing its resources in Alzheimer's Disease." Biogen says aducanumab is not being discontinued for reasons related to safety or efficacy.
In the years following aducanumab's FDA approval, the administration has approved lecanemab and donanemab which both work to address the underlying biology of the disease.
MU Health Care neurologist Dr. David Beversdorf said studies targeting protein deposits called amyloids have failed for the last two decades until recently.
"Now there are agents that are targeting the most toxic aspect of the amyloid, and they seem to help," Beversdorf said. "We are still waiting for the long-term studies to come out to see if this is a transient benefit or a long-term benefit, and it is associated with risk in addition to cost and inconvenience."
Beversdorf says hopefully in the future, there can be therapies that target the amyloid and have fewer side effects like nausea and a lower cost. He says one important aspect that is not touched on very much when discussing Alzheimer's Disease is prevention.
"We are beginning to discover there are a lot of modifiable risk factors that affect the risk of developing Alzheimer's Disease," Beversdorf said. "I think this is an area of growing importance and I hope it continues to grow."
To help with prevention, Beversdorf says it's important to improve your cardiovascular health. This can include exercise, an improved diet and controlling blood pressure, glucose and lipids.
He said that people who take omega-3 fish oil have a lesser risk of developing Alzheimer's Disease along with people who are on a Mediterranean diet.
Beversdorf says it's important to be mindful for the early signs of Alzheimer's Disease because many of the FDA-approved treatments work best in the early stages.
"It is normal for people with aging to have a little more trouble coming up with a word, you might lose something but you find it," Beversdorf said. "But beginning to do this in a way that is definitely more than your peers is when you might want to get this checked out."
The Alzheimer's Association has a free 24/7 hotline (1-800-272-3900) which offers resources, support, assistance and information for anyone affected by Alzheimer's including patients, caregivers and family members.
Fundraising, senior manager for the Alzheimer's Association Laurie Williams says she expects about 800 people to show up and support the Columbia Walk to End Alzheimer's this year. The walk aims to raise $180,000 in 2024. Last year, the walk raised over $161,000.
Join ABC 17 News in the fight against Alzheimer's and support the Columbia Walk to End Alzheimer's on Saturday at Stankowski Field on the University of Missouri's Campus.
