Overview
Alzheimer's disease is a brain disorder that gets worse over time. It's characterized by changes in the brain that lead to deposits of certain proteins. Alzheimer's disease causes the brain to shrink and brain cells to eventually die. Alzheimer's disease is the most common cause of dementia — a gradual decline in memory, thinking, behavior and social skills. These changes affect a person's ability to function.
About 6.5 million people in the United States age 65 and older live with Alzheimer's disease. Among them, more than 70% are 75 years old and older. Of the about 55 million people worldwide with dementia, 60% to 70% are estimated to have Alzheimer's disease.
The early signs of the disease include forgetting recent events or conversations. Over time, it progresses to serious memory problems and loss of the ability to perform everyday tasks.
Medicines may improve or slow the progression of symptoms. Programs and services can help support people with the disease and their caregivers.
There is no treatment that cures Alzheimer's disease. In advanced stages, severe loss of brain function can cause dehydration, malnutrition or infection. These complications can result in death.
Broader Medicare coverage is now available for Biogen and Eisai’s Leqembi (the brand name for lecanemab) following the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) move to grant traditional approval to the drug that treats individuals with Alzheimer’s disease. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services had previously announced this would be the case and released more details on coverage today.
Now that the FDA has granted traditional approval, a CMS-facilitated registry is open for clinicians to access here. Additional background information is available for providers here and for patients here and at medicare.gov.
Under the Medicare National Coverage Determination, if FDA grants traditional approval to other drugs in this class, Medicare will cover them using this same coverage framework.
Thanks to the Mayo Clinic a book is available to explain what is known about Alzheimer's Disease.
A guide for people with dementia and those who care for them
Dementia is a serious health challenge. By some estimates, the number of people living with dementia could triple by 2050.
While Alzheimer's disease is the most common cause of dementia, many related types of dementia also affect adults worldwide.
Although the diseases that cause dementia have long been considered unrelenting and incurable, there is hope.
Lecanemab for Alzheimer's disease: An option for you?
The drug lecanemab appears to slow mental decline in people with early Alzheimer's disease. Learn whether it might be right for you.
By Mayo Clinic Staff
Lecanemab is a drug given to slow the progression of mild Alzheimer's disease (AD). This drug reduces clumps of proteins that play a key role in AD. Reducing brain amyloid-beta proteins modestly slows memory and thinking decline from AD.
Lecanemab is for people who have early symptomatic AD. In a recent drug trial, taking lecanemab over 18 months slowed the rate of cognitive decline. It's not yet known whether the drug helps in other ways such as slowing the development of AD in people without symptoms of memory loss.
Lecanemab is given by IV infusion every two weeks. Your care team likely will watch for side effects and ask you or your caregiver how your body reacts to the drug.
Because lecanemab is a new drug, there is still much to learn about it. Some people who take lecanemab have side effects such as:
Dizziness.
Headache.
Visual changes.
Worsening confusion.
Swelling or bleeding in the brain.
Rarely, death.
Brain shrinkage.
Not for everyone
Lecanemab is not helpful for people with full cognitive function or later stages of AD. The drug does not prevent or cure AD. Your health care team will help you decide if lecanemab is an option for you.
The medicines you take for other conditions and your health history may affect whether you can take lecanemab. A history of cancer or bleeding in your brain or use of anticoagulant drugs, such as warfarin or apixaban, may prevent you from taking lecanemab.
If you take lecanemab, you likely will have regular MRI scans to check for brain bleeds. If your side effects are severe, you may need anti-seizure drugs or care in a hospital. You also may have to stop taking the drug.
What is Lecanemab and how does it work? Lecanemab is a monoclonal antibody drug.
What is the pathophysiology of Alzheimer disease?
Alzheimer's disease is characterized by an accumulation of abnormal neuritic plaques and neurofibrillary tangles. Plaques are spherical microscopic lesions that have a core of extracellular amyloid beta-peptide surrounded by enlarged axonal endings.
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