Psychiatry & Psychotherapy Podcast Alzheimer's Dementia
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Aug 13, 2021 Explore the controversy around the recently approved Alzheimer's drug, Aduhom, and its impact on patients and families. Learn about the importance of lifestyle factors like exercise, diet, and sleep in dementia care. Delve into the risks and side effects associated with the drug and the challenges of proving its effectiveness in clinical trials. Discover the role of sleep and lifestyle modifications in brain health, as well as the significance of making small dietary changes for overall well-being.
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Alzheimer's Is Biologically Diverse
- Most Alzheimer's is sporadic, heterogeneous, and not directly caused by single amyloid-pathway mutations.
- Genetic risk factors point to cholesterol, inflammation, and metabolic pathways beyond amyloid.
Control Midlife Vascular Risks
- Manage midlife vascular risk factors like hypertension, obesity, and diabetes to reduce dementia risk.
- Early lifestyle control can prevent or even reverse mild cognitive impairment.
Amyloid Removal ≠ Clinical Improvement
- Aducanumab reliably removes amyloid plaques on imaging but does not reliably improve cognition or function.
- This disconnect challenges the centrality of amyloid as the sole therapeutic target.