Alzheimer's & Brain Awareness Month

Overview

Alzheimer's disease is the most common cause of dementia, and it's driven by a slow buildup of amyloid-beta plaques and tau tangles that gradually kill off neurons. It usually starts with short-term memory trouble and over time spreads to affect language, planning, behavior, and the ability to manage daily life.

Impact

Alzheimer's affects tens of millions of people globally, and those numbers are climbing fast as populations age. It's a leading cause of death and dependence in older adults, and the caregiving load on families is enormous, including emotional strain, lost income, and the physical toll of around-the-clock support. The cost to health systems and long-term care is huge, and most of that falls on people who weren't planning for it.

Medical Overview

Beyond amyloid and tau, the pathology of Alzheimer's involves chronic neuroinflammation, mitochondrial dysfunction, contributions from blood vessel disease, and sex-linked biological differences that may help explain why women are affected more often. Modern diagnosis leans on biomarkers, including spinal fluid or blood tests for amyloid and tau, plus PET imaging that can spot the disease years before dementia symptoms. Anti-amyloid antibodies like lecanemab have shown a modest slowing of decline in early symptomatic disease, and they come with real considerations around patient selection, MRI monitoring for amyloid-related imaging abnormalities (called ARIA), and infusion logistics. Non-drug strategies remain central for both prevention and care, including physical activity, controlling cardiovascular risk factors, staying cognitively engaged, correcting hearing loss, and protecting sleep. Managing behavioral symptoms, supporting caregivers, and having advance care conversations early are just as important as anything else.

References

1. Twarowski B, Herbet M. Inflammatory Processes in Alzheimer's Disease - Pathomechanism, Diagnosis and Treatment: A Review . International Journal of Molecular Sciences . 2023.
2. Lopez-Lee C, Torres ERS, Carling G, Gan L. Mechanisms of sex differences in Alzheimer's disease . Neuron . 2024.
3. Cummings J, Apostolova L, Rabinovici GD, et al.. Lecanemab: Appropriate Use Recommendations . Journal of Prevention of Alzheimer's Disease . 2023.