January 6, 2022/Care Works Health Services
If 2021 will be remembered as the year for COVID-19 vaccines, perhaps 2022 will be marked with a different version of a life-changing Alzheimer’s treatment option: a vaccine that may actually prevent or slow the further advancement of Alzheimer’s disease.
The very first human trial of Protollin, delivered through nasal spray, is underway in 16 seniors between the ages of 60 and 85 with early-stage Alzheimer’s symptoms. The desired end result is to activate immune cells that will eliminate the beta-amyloid plaque thought to cause the disease.
Arriving on the heels of controversial results of Biogen’s Aduhelm, the first new approved drug for Alzheimer’s in decades, the stakes are high. Aduhelm is an antibody infusion that at first appeared to fail in its goal of improving memory and cognition functioning, leading Biogen to discontinue clinical trials. Yet several months later, there did seem to be a beneficial impact in a small number of participants, leading the Food and Drug Administration to approve its use – even if the results aren’t definitively clear.
Identifying a successful preventative or treatment option is vitally important. The most recent data show approximately 6 million Americans currently clinically determined to have the disease. It’s also one of the leading causes of death in adults within the United States, with a sharp incline in mortality rate of 88% between 1999 and 2019. And that figure may only be scratching the surface, since it represents only those clinically diagnosed. We know that those with cognitive impairment may struggle with receiving an appropriate diagnosis, and they often are challenged by other health problems as well.
Scientists are hopeful that Protollin, as well as Aduhelm along with other antibody drugs undergoing study, are placing us on a promising path forward. Jeffrey Cummings, a University of Nevada, Las Vegas brain-science professor, goes so far as to state, “It just feels like we have turned a corner.”
As one of the top-rated home health agencies in Huntington Beach, CareWorks Health Services’ elder care experts are helping seniors with Alzheimer’s each day, and we excitedly anticipate a point in the future when the disease is defeated. Until then, we are here for your needs with creative, personalized care in order to make life the best it can be for older adults with dementia.
It is vitally important for family members caring for someone with dementia to safeguard their own health by ensuring sufficient time for self-care. Our dementia respite care team can help you arrange a schedule for regular time away – as much or as little as you would like. We’re skilled in effective management of many difficult symptoms of the disease, including wandering, agitation, aggression, sundowning, and many more.
