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The burden of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias is significant, according to the National Institutes of Health. But scientists have made progress on drug development, lifestyle interventions, biomarker research and more, according to a 2022 progress report.
The NIH estimates that long-term care and services for people living with dementia in 2021 will cost $321 billion. By 2022, more than 6 million Americans age 65 and older will have Alzheimer’s, a number that is projected to rise as the nation’s population ages, the report says.
Thirty-four percent of assisted living residents had diagnoses of Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias as of 2018, according to a 2021 data summary from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Health Statistics. Diseases.
Prevent, treat Alzheimer’s
Between April 2021 and early 2022, scientists reported significant research progress, including adding to the growing list of genetic factors and molecular pathways involved in disease, including DNA damage, cellular senescence, and energetic dysfunction. , according to the NIH.
The researchers also developed a new generation of research tools to identify, explore, and validate disease mechanisms, as well as a variety of potential drug targets. Progress was also made in determining how behavioral and lifestyle factors affect dementia risk, according to the report.
The portfolio of potential treatments has grown, with research into anti-amyloid drug development and protein malfunctions, as well as accelerating discovery of new drugs for dementia and repurposing existing drugs for other conditions.
Biomarker research leading to more reliable, affordable and less invasive tests is focusing on diagnosing and differentiating between types of dementia, the report stated.
Health disparities in dementia risk have also led to studies suggesting steps to improve health equity, particularly in clinical trials. That effort, the NIH said, will lead to a more precise, person-centered approach to dementia prevention and treatment that considers gender, race, ethnicity, lifestyle, socioeconomic status, and exposures. specific environment of an individual.
The National Plan to Address Alzheimer’s Disease, which grew out of the National Alzheimer’s Project Act, led to a significant increase in funding for dementia research in recent years to achieve the ambitious goal of effectively preventing and treating Alzheimer’s disease. Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias by 2025, according to the NIH. indicated.
The NIH National Institute on Aging and the NIH National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke conduct and fund most of NIH’s research on Alzheimer’s and related dementias.
In July, the NIH requested an additional $321 million in fiscal year 2024 for Alzheimer’s and related dementias research through its annual professional judgment budget. Funding for Alzheimer’s research has increased sevenfold under NAPA. Currently, funding for Alzheimer’s and other dementia research totals more than $3.5 billion.
Collaboration Drives Success
The report authors attributed these advances to collaborations between researchers, clinicians, people living with dementia, caregivers and families.
“Together, we are accelerating the momentum of research on Alzheimer’s and related dementias and creating a pathway to effective prevention, diagnosis, treatment and care options,” the report concluded.
Looking ahead, the NIH said it hopes to see less invasive diagnostic tests, advances in health equity, collaborations with the private sector to accelerate treatment options, targeted treatments, discovery of more factors that contribute to dementia, and evidence of behavioral and lifestyle effects. practices to reduce the risk of disease.
Source: news.google.com