🧠💊 Treating Alzheimer’s Early: Betta Hope fo’ Slowin’ Decline, Study Finds 📚💡
⬇️ Pidgin | ⬇️ ⬇️ English
Accordin’ to one large study presented on Monday, treatin’ Alzheimer’s patients as early as possible wen symptoms an’ brain pathology stay mild can give a betta chance of slowin’ down cognitive decline. Dis study examined an experimental Alzheimer’s drug called donanemab an’ found dat it modestly slowed down memory an’ thinkin’ problems, especially in patients at early stages an’ those under 75. 🧠💊
Da study, which involved 1,736 patients, revealed dat donanemab, developed by Eli Lilly, was able to slightly slow down da progression of memory an’ thinkin’ issues in da early stages of Alzheimer’s. Dis slowin’ effect was most significant fo’ patients in da early stages who had lower levels of a protein called tau, which forms tangles in da brain. Fo’ patients at dis early stage, donanemab seemed to delay memory an’ thinkin’ decline by ’bout four an’ a half to seven an’ a half months ova an 18-month period compared to those who received a placebo. Dis research was published in da journal JAMA an’ was presented at da Alzheimer’s Association International Conference in Amsterdam. 🧪📈
Dr. Daniel Skovronsky, Eli Lilly’s chief medical an’ scientific officer, stated in an interview dat da earlier da treatment starts, da more impact it can have on slowin’ da disease before a significant decline occurs. He emphasized da importance of early diagnosis an’ intervention in managin’ Alzheimer’s. Accordian’ to him, early diagnosis an’ intervention are crucial regardless of factors like age, disease severity, or level of brain pathology. 🩺⏰
Da findings of dis study, combined with da recent approval of anotha drug called Leqembi dat also modestly slows down decline in da early stages of Alzheimer’s, give hope fo’ da development of effective medications fo’ dis devastatin’ disease. Currently, donanemab is bein’ considered fo’ approval by da Food an’ Drug Administration (FDA). It’s important to note dat donanemab an’ Leqembi (also known as lecanemab) have not been directly compared in research studies, so it’s difficult to determine which medication may be more effective. 🌟👨⚕️
Both drugs carry potential safety risks, includin’ brain swelling an’ bleedin’, although such side effects are usually mild, they can be serious in some cases. Da donanemab trial reported higher rates of swelling an’ bleedin’ compared to da Leqembi trial, but it’s hard to make direct comparisons due to differences in patients an’ otha factors. It’s important to note dat neitha of these drugs can reverse or repair da brain damage already caused by da disease. Many Alzheimer’s experts consider dem to be only da first steps in a potentially promisin’ direction. 💉🧪
Da study reported three deaths linked to donanemab durin’ its clinical trial, while three participants in da Leqembi trials also died afta experiencin’ brain swelling an’ bleedin’. However, it’s unclear if da drugs contributed to these deaths due to da complex medical conditions da patients had. Despite da potential risks, da development of drugs dat target amyloid, a protein dat forms plaques in da brains of Alzheimer’s patients, represents a significant advance in da search fo’ effective treatments. Fo’ years, otha anti-amyloid drugs failed to demonstrate significant benefits in slowin’ memory or thinkin’ problems. Da FDA’s decision to grant conditional approval to da anti-amyloid drug Aduhelm in 2021, while expressin’ uncertainty ’bout its effectiveness, sparked controversy, congressional investigations, an’ hesitancy in prescribin’ it. 😷💊
Donanemab an’ Leqembi, both administered through intravenous infusions, are da first drugs targetin’ amyloid dat have shown clear evidence of slowin’ cognitive decline in da early stages of da disease. However, some experts express concerns ’bout da modest nature of da slowin’ effect, questionin’ whether patients an’ their families will notice significant improvements. In da Leqembi trial, patients who received infusions every two weeks ova an 18-month period experienced a 27% slower decline compared to those receivin’ a placebo. In da donanemab trial, da overall group receivin’ monthly infusions showed a 29% slower decline compared to da placebo group. Fo’ da slowin’ effect to be considered clinically meaningful or noticeable, experts argue dat da difference between da drug an’ da placebo should be at least one point on da cognitive scale. 📊🧪
Otha aspects of da donanemab trial caught da attention of Alzheimer’s experts. Participants who reached a certain threshold with cleared amyloid stopped receivin’ donanemab an’ were switched to a placebo. Approximately half of da participants reached da threshold within a year, an’ even afta stoppin’ donanemab, their decline continued to slow. Lilly scientists estimated dat it would take nearly four years fo’ amyloid levels to rise again above da threshold. It remains uncertain whether da slowin’ of decline will persist as amyloid begins accumulatin’ once more. Additionally, da trial divided participants into those with high levels of tau an’ those with intermediate levels. Tau is a protein dat forms tangles in da brain afta amyloid accumulates, an’ higher tau levels are more closely associated with memory an’ thinkin’ problems. Da trial found dat da group with intermediate tau levels experienced a 36% slower decline compared to a 29% decline in da combined intermediate an’ high tau groups, an’ a 21% decline in da high tau group alone. Da results from anotha measurement tool used in da trial showed da same pattern. Lilly calculated dat patients in da intermediate tau group would experience a slowdown of 4.4 to 7.5 months ova 18 months compared to those on da placebo, while da combined population would experience a slowdown of 2.5 to 5.4 months. Da study estimated dat a larger percentage of people with intermediate tau levels remained at da same cognitive level durin’ their first year in da trial compared to those in da placebo group. 📈💭
One concern raised ’bout dis study, as well as many Alzheimer’s drug trials, is da underrepresentation of non-white patients. An editorial in JAMA highlighted dis issue, stressin’ dat historically marginalized communities such as Black an’ Hispanic populations face a higher risk of Alzheimer’s, an’ efforts should be made to ensure their inclusion in research. 🌍🧪
Da challenge of determinin’ whether these drugs provide meanin’ful benefits in daily life is illustrated by da experience of a patient who participated in anotha donanemab trial. Jim Sirois, a 67-year-old from Berlin, Connecticut, began experiencin’ difficulties findin’ words an’ rememberin’ items at da grocery store. Jim an’ his wife Sue participated in a donan
emab trial comparin’ its ability to clear more amyloid than Aduhelm. Sue stated dat donanemab cleared da plaques, an’ treatment was stopped afta ’bout 13 months. However, they remain unsure if da drug slowed Jim’s cognitive decline. While his symptoms haven’t significantly worsened, Sue noticed difficulties in activities dat he could previously do without problems. Jim’s ability to plan an’ perform multi-step tasks has been affected, even simple tasks like connectin’ their pool vacuum or threadin’ a weed whacker have become challenging. His performance in bowlin’, a previously excelled activity, has also been impacted. Although he recently bowled a perfect game, his average score has decreased by ’bout 20 points. Sue expressed uncertainty ’bout whether da drug has helped Jim or not, but emphasized dat any intervention dat can potentially slow da progression of da disease is worth considerin’. 💑🏌️♂️
Treating Alzheimer’s in its earliest stages offers a ray of hope in slowin’ down cognitive decline. As research continues, da development of medications like donanemab an’ Leqembi provides promise fo’ Alzheimer’s patients an’ their families. While da effects may be modest, da potential impact of early intervention cannot be ignored. Further data an’ research will be necessary to fully understand da benefits an’ risks associated with these drugs, as well as their long-term effectiveness. In da fight against Alzheimer’s, every step forward brings us closer to findin’ solutions to this devastatin’ disease. 🧠💪🌟
NOW IN ENGLISH
🧠💊 Treating Alzheimer’s Early: Better Hope for Slowing Decline, Study Finds 📚💡
According to one large study presented on Monday, treating Alzheimer’s patients as early as possible when symptoms and brain pathology are mild can give a better chance of slowing down cognitive decline. This study examined an experimental Alzheimer’s drug called donanemab and found that it modestly slowed down memory and thinking problems, especially in patients at early stages and those under 75. 🧠💊
The study, which involved 1,736 patients, revealed that donanemab, developed by Eli Lilly, was able to slightly slow down the progression of memory and thinking issues in the early stages of Alzheimer’s. This slowing effect was most significant for patients in the early stages who had lower levels of a protein called tau, which forms tangles in the brain. For patients at this early stage, donanemab seemed to delay memory and thinking decline by about four and a half to seven and a half months over an 18-month period compared to those who received a placebo. This research was published in the journal JAMA and was presented at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference in Amsterdam. 🧪📈
Dr. Daniel Skovronsky, Eli Lilly’s chief medical and scientific officer, stated in an interview that the earlier the treatment starts, the more impact it can have on slowing the disease before a significant decline occurs. He emphasized the importance of early diagnosis and intervention in managing Alzheimer’s. According to him, early diagnosis and intervention are crucial regardless of factors like age, disease severity, or level of brain pathology. 🩺⏰
The findings of this study, combined with the recent approval of another drug called Leqembi that also modestly slows down decline in the early stages of Alzheimer’s, give hope for the development of effective medications for this devastating disease. Currently, donanemab is being considered for approval by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). It’s important to note that donanemab and Leqembi (also known as lecanemab) have not been directly compared in research studies, so it’s difficult to determine which medication may be more effective. 🌟👨⚕️
Both drugs carry potential safety risks, including brain swelling and bleeding, although such side effects are usually mild, they can be serious in some cases. The donanemab trial reported higher rates of swelling and bleeding compared to the Leqembi trial, but it’s hard to make direct comparisons due to differences in patients and other factors. It’s important to note that neither of these drugs can reverse or repair the brain damage already caused by the disease. Many Alzheimer’s experts consider them to be only the first steps in a potentially promising direction. 💉🧪
The study reported three deaths linked to donanemab during its clinical trial, while three participants in the Leqembi trials also died after experiencing brain swelling and bleeding. However, it’s unclear if the drugs contributed to these deaths due to the complex medical conditions the patients had. Despite the potential risks, the development of drugs that target amyloid, a protein that forms plaques in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients, represents a significant advance in the search for effective treatments. For years, other anti-amyloid drugs failed to demonstrate significant benefits in slowing memory or thinking problems. The FDA’s decision to grant conditional approval to the anti-amyloid drug Aduhelm in 2021, while expressing uncertainty about its effectiveness, sparked controversy, congressional investigations, and hesitancy in prescribing it. 😷💊
Donanemab and Leqembi, both administered through intravenous infusions, are the first drugs targeting amyloid that have shown clear evidence of slowing cognitive decline in the early stages of the disease. However, some experts express concerns about the modest nature of the slowing effect, questioning whether patients and their families will notice significant improvements. In the Leqembi trial, patients who received infusions every two weeks over an 18-month period experienced a 27% slower decline compared to those receiving a placebo. In the donanemab trial, the overall group receiving monthly infusions showed a 29% slower decline compared to the placebo group. For the slowing effect to be considered clinically meaningful or noticeable, experts argue that the difference between the drug and the placebo should be at least one point on the cognitive scale. 📊🧪
Other aspects of the donanemab trial caught the attention of Alzheimer’s experts. Participants who reached a certain threshold with cleared amyloid stopped receiving donanemab and were switched to a placebo. Approximately half of the participants reached the threshold within a year, and even after stopping donanemab, their decline continued to slow. Lilly scientists estimated that it would take nearly four years for amyloid levels to rise again above the threshold. It remains uncertain whether the slowing of decline will persist as amyloid begins accumulating once more. Additionally, the trial divided participants into those with high levels of tau and those with intermediate levels. Tau is a protein that forms tangles in the brain after amyloid accumulates, and higher tau levels are more closely associated with memory and thinking problems. The trial found that the group with intermediate tau levels experienced a 36% slower decline compared to a 29% decline in the combined intermediate and high tau groups, and a 21% decline in the high tau group alone. The results from another measurement tool used in the trial showed the same pattern. Lilly calculated that patients in the intermediate tau group would experience a slowdown of 4.4 to 7.5 months over 18 months compared to those on the placebo, while the combined population would experience a slowdown of 2.5 to 5.4 months. The study estimated that a larger percentage of people with intermediate tau levels remained at the same cognitive level during their first year in the trial compared to those in the placebo group. 📈💭
One concern raised about this study, as well as many Alzheimer’s drug trials, is the underrepresentation of non-white patients. An editorial in JAMA highlighted this issue, stressing that historically marginalized communities such as Black and Hispanic populations face a higher risk of Alzheimer’s, and efforts should be made to ensure their inclusion in research. 🌍🧪
The challenge of determining whether these drugs provide meaningful benefits in daily life is illustrated by the experience of a patient who participated in another donanemab trial. Jim Sirois, a 67-year-old from Berlin, Connecticut, began experiencing difficulties finding words and remembering items at the grocery store. Jim and his wife Sue participated in a donanemab trial comparing its ability to clear more amyloid than Aduhelm. Sue stated that donanemab cleared the plaques, and treatment was stopped after about 13 months. However, they remain unsure if the drug slowed Jim’s cognitive decline. While his symptoms haven’t significantly worsened, Sue noticed difficulties in activities that he could previously do without problems. Jim’s ability to plan and perform multi-step tasks has been affected, even simple tasks like connecting their pool vacuum or threading a weed whacker have become challenging. His performance in bowling, a previously excelled activity, has also been impacted. Although he recently bowled a perfect game, his average score has decreased by about 20 points. Sue expressed uncertainty about whether the drug has helped Jim or not, but emphasized that
any intervention that can potentially slow the progression of the disease is worth considering. 💑🏌️♂️
Treating Alzheimer’s in its earliest stages offers a ray of hope in slowing down cognitive decline. As research continues, the development of medications like donanemab and Leqembi provides promise for Alzheimer’s patients and their families. While the effects may be modest, the potential impact of early intervention cannot be ignored. Further data and research will be necessary to fully understand the benefits and risks associated with these drugs, as well as their long-term effectiveness. In the fight against Alzheimer’s, every step forward brings us closer to finding solutions to this devastating disease. 🧠💪🌟
