Unlocking the potential of imaging in Alzheimer ’s disease care

Jan Makela.In the U.S., more than 6 million Americans have Alzheimer's disease, a debilitating and far-reaching disease that accounts for 60% to 80% of dementia cases, and by 2050, this number is projected to rise to nearly 13 million, according to Alzheimer’s Disease International. Alzheimer’s has been a formidable challenge for our society, patients, caregivers, and healthcare systems for decades. The disease affects memory, thinking, and behavior. Its symptoms typically start with mild cognitive impairment and eventually grow severe enough to interfere with daily tasks. Historically, medications and therapies have been of limited effectiveness and have focused on treating the symptoms of the disease rather than addressing its root cause. This lack of effective treatment, coupled with late-stage diagnosis, has resulted in a lack of hope and few options for patients and their families. Additionally, an increasing aging population has further exacerbated the burden of this disease on healthcare systems. A hallmark of Alzheimer's Disease is the build-up of toxic proteins in the brain. One of these proteins, beta-amyloid, clumps together to form plaques, causing brain cells to die. With the emergence of new therapies, including U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of a medication that targets amyloid protein in the brain, we have reason to be optimistic. The FDA approval of this new therapy is an important development for clinicians who will now have greater ...
Source: AuntMinnie.com Headlines - Category: Radiology Authors: Tags: Practice Management Molecular Imaging MRI Neuroradiology Source Type: news