Increased Alzheimer’s Cases Stem From Better Awareness, Leading To More Diagnoses

An upward trend of Alzheimer’s cases comes from more adults reaching age 65 and older.

Alzheimer’s Tennessee Cumberland Offices Regional Director Lynn Drew said the trend is also influenced by a greater public awareness of the disease.

“I think that there’s less of a stigma these days,” Drew said. “So just more education, people are open to talk about it, and some family members may pick up on signs and symptoms of their loved one.”

While there is no cure for the disease, the FDA recently fast-tracked a new treatment option for Alzheimer’s patients.

Aduhelm is the first treatment directed at an underlying cause of Alzheimer’s, which is the presence plaque on the brain. The treatment was approved earlier this month. Drew said that early diagnosis is key when it comes to Alzheimer’s treatment.

She said that doctors will use family history to predict Alzheimer’s, and that lifestyle also plays a factor in the disease’s effect.

“There are some studies that say possibly a healthy lifestyle may reduce a risk,” Drew said. “You can kind of think along the lines of ‘what’s good for the heart is good for the brain.’ ”

Drew said that the biggest piece of information the science community is lacking is definitive knowledge about what exactly causes the disease.