Alzheimer's of Central Alabama

Serving people with Alzheimer’s, caregivers and professionals in central Alabama through education, caregiver services and research grants.

ACA’s Weekly Email August 4, 2023

Step Right Up!  Alzheimer’s of Central Alabama will host our Walking to Remember Team Pledge Kick Off, August 31, from 4:30 – 6.  Please join us if you would like to organize a team and participate in ACA’s Walk, November 4.  All of the money raised stays in Alabama to support Alabama families living with Alzheimer’s.  300 Office Park Drive, suite 225.  205-871-7970

M4A is hosting a Memory Cafes which offer a safe space for those living with dementia and their caregivers.  There will herb box building, music, games and fellowship.  Sessions are 10 – noon.  To register contact Chalane Mims at cmims@m4a.org or 205-670-5770:

  • August 8, Jasper Civic Center
  • August 22, Oneonta Senior Center

Genetic FTD:  To Test or Not To Test webinar, August 15, 2-3 CT.  Webinar Registration | AFTD (theaftd.org)

Support Group Meetings:

August Webinars from Alabama Lifespan Respite: https://alabamarespite.org/events2/

Alzheimer’s News:

The American Academy of Neurology has released expert consensus guidance on the use of new anti-amyloids to treat early Alzheimer’s disease (AD). The guideline highlights the fact that while these monoclonal antibodies (mAb), which target beta-amyloid, are promising in terms of slowing cognitive and functional decline in early AD, they also carry risks and burdens that should be discussed with patients and caregivers.  The guidance was published online July 26 in Neurology.

The new anti-amyloid beta drugs are an exciting indication that we will eventually have a toolkit of Alzheimer’s drugs to choose from. For now, we’ve taken a solid step forward and there is ample reason to be hopeful for the future.  The bottom line is that these drugs aren’t the Alzheimer’s holy grail: an accessible treatment that could stop the disease in its tracks or reverse cognitive impairment. They are, however, a very promising breakthrough.  Read more from Leah Croll, MD:  New Alzheimer’s Drugs: Setting Realistic Expectations (medscape.com)

Quest Diagnostics has launched the first direct-to-consumer blood test to detect abnormal levels of beta amyloid, a key Alzheimer’s disease protein that can appear years before dementia symptoms arise.  The $399 test, called AD-Detect, uses the same technology as a blood test the company began selling for use by doctors in early 2022.  Once the test is purchased, a telemedicine doctor will review the purchase to ensure it is medically necessary and place an order on their behalf. Patients can review their results online and have the option to speak to a physician at no extra cost.  If the test is positive, individuals automatically will be contacted by a doctor from an independent physician network to discuss the next steps and potentially can share the results with other physicians. Quest’s lab-developed test has not undergone any FDA review. The FDA generally does not review such tests as long as they are prescribed by a healthcare provider.  Quest Diagnostics Launches Alzheimer’s Blood Test for Consumers (medscape.com)

Under a new Medicare pilot program that will begin in 2024, the federal government will pay clinicians to coordinate at-home dementia support services, including respite care for family members.  A Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) initiative, part of the aim of the Guiding an Improved Dementia Experience (GUIDE) program is to help Medicare beneficiaries with dementia stay in the community for as long as possible. The program is voluntary and will be open to Medicare-enrolled clinicians and other providers who can assemble an interdisciplinary care team and meet the program’s participation criteria.  A recent analysis found that dementia care management would save the federal government nearly $21 billion over 10 years.  Medicare beneficiaries will be eligible if they are not residing in a nursing home; are not enrolled in hospice; and have a confirmed dementia diagnosis.  GUIDE teams will receive a monthly, per-beneficiary amount for providing care management and coordination and caregiver education and support services. They can also bill for respite services — up to an annual cap — for Medicare beneficiaries who have an unpaid caregiver.  Medicare to Pay for At-Home Dementia Care Coordination (medscape.com)

Patients with risk factors for dementia, such as diabetes and hypertension, experienced a 48% slowing of cognitive decline after wearing a hearing aid for 3 years, results of the first randomized trial of its kind show.  Results of the ACHIEVE study add to growing evidence that addressing hearing impairment may be a critically important global public health target to prevent dementia. These results provide compelling evidence that treating hearing loss is a powerful tool to protect cognitive function in later life, and possibly over the long term, delay a dementia diagnosis.  New Evidence Hearing Aids Help Slow Cognitive Decline (medscape.com)

Knowing what matters most to your loved one can help you honor their wishes and give you peace of mind if they become too sick to make decisions.Unfortunately, only one in three people in the United States has a plan for their future health care in place. There are steps you can take to help your friend or family member navigate future medical decisions — and to be prepared to make decisions for them, if needed. Advance Care Planning and Health Care Decisions: Tips for Caregivers and Families | National Institute on Aging (nih.gov)

Groundbreaking treatments for Alzheimer’s disease that work by removing a toxic protein called beta amyloid from the brain may benefit whites more than Black Americans, whose disease may be driven by other factors.  The two drugs – Leqembi and an experimental treatment developed by Eli Lilly, donanemab – are the first to offer real hope of slowing the fatal disease for the 6.5 million Americans living with Alzheimer’s.  About 20% of older Black people are estimated to have Alzheimer’s or another dementia, twice the rate of white people and above the 14% of Hispanics.  However, older Black Americans were screened out of clinical trials of these drugs at a higher rate, according to interviews with 10 researchers as well as 4 Eisai and Lilly executives. Prospective Black volunteers with early disease symptoms did not have enough amyloid in their brain to qualify for the trials.  New Alzheimer’s Drugs May Benefit Whites More Than Blacks (medscape.com)

The NIH Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 Professional Judgment Budget for Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias was unveiled July 31.   In developing the proposal NIH staff reviewed the Alzheimer’s research milestones and considered the additional resources needed to pursue new scientific opportunities.   For FY25, NIH estimates needing $318 million in additional support for new research, with the overall resources needed totaling $4.07 billion.  Driving momentum: Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias FY25 bypass budget and scientific progress report | National Institute on Aging (nih.gov)

Those who snore can be aging their brains by years and hurting their brain health by depriving themselves of getting deep sleep. Loud snoring and obstructed breathing, often caused by sleep apnea, can lead to higher chances of exhibiting signs of stroke, Alzheimer’s disease, or overall cognitive decline.  Research participants with severe sleep apnea had more white matter hyperintensities (tiny lesions on the brain) than those with mild or moderate conditions.  Deep sleep is one of the best indicators of sleep quality and the study found that for every 10% decrease in deep sleep, the white matter hyperintensities increased, equivalent to the brain aging 2.3 years.  Snoring Could Be Harming Your Brain Health (medscape.com)

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