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STUDY: 1/5 Dementia Cases Come With Vision Impairment

By Lisa Power | October 9th, 2024

It’s long been said that the eyes are the windows to the soul, but more and more research supports findings that the eyes are…

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Dr. Barak Gaster: How to Pick Up on Early Signs of Alzheimer’s Disease

By Katy Koop | October 8th, 2024

Receiving an Alzheimer’s diagnosis is often a long, complex process, with many individuals facing delayed diagnosis or even misdiagnosis for years. A key reason…

public health

Biden Signs 2 New Laws to Protect and Expand ‘National Alzheimer’s Project’

By Alexandra Marvar | October 7th, 2024

“No president has entered the White House with as clear a focus on Alzheimer’s disease as Joe Biden,” Maria Shriver and George Vradenburg wrote…

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Early Signs of Dementia: How Much Memory Loss Is ‘Normal’?

By Oliver Baumann and Cindy Jones, Bond University | October 4th, 2024

You’ve driven home from work along the same route for the past five years. But lately, you’ve been stopping at the same intersection, struggling…

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The Quest for Alzheimer's Treatments and Cures

By The Editors | January 19th, 2024

FAQ: What Is Alzheimer’s Drug Leqembi, Where Is It Approved, and More

On July 6, 2023, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration fully approved the Alzheimer’s drug Leqembi (generic name lecanemab), a monoclonal antibody drug for…

By Simon Spichak, MSc | April 12th, 2023

Filling the Void: The Race to Treat Later-Stage Alzheimer’s

As Julie Fleming’s father slipped into the later stages of Alzheimer’s dementia, she could only watch as his computer skills and interests faded. “The…

Alzheimer's medications, drugs, therapies

By Nicholas Chan | August 8th, 2023

Your Guide to FDA-Approved Alzheimer’s Drugs

Alzheimer’s disease affects one in every three people over the age of 85, and the scale of the epidemic is only worsening. While there…

By Simon Spichak, MSc | July 2nd, 2024

A Pill to Slow Down Alzheimer’s Is as Little as a Year Away

Drugmaker Alzheon is currently running clinical trials on a new disease-modifying Alzheimer’s treatment: valiltramiprosate, or ALZ-801. While, like the new buzzy new Alzheimer’s monoclonal…

Genetics and Brain Health

By Simon Spichak, MSc | July 14th, 2023

A Peek Into the Future: Gene Therapy for Alzheimer’s

This article was made possible through sponsorship by Lexeo Therapeutics. Being Patient’s editorial team produced the interview and article with no review/approval process by the…

By Simon Spichak, MSc | March 2nd, 2023

How Does the APOE4 Gene Affect My Alzheimer’s Risk?

A human being has as many as 25,000 different genes in their DNA. It’s wild to think that just one tiny little mutation can…

By Simon Spichak, MSc | May 4th, 2022

Is Alzheimer’s Genetic?

Breakthrough advancements in gene-sequencing technologies have opened up new pathways for understanding health and disease. Scientists can sequence our genetic code to search for…

By Nicholas Chan | January 21st, 2021

Considering Genetic Testing for Alzheimer’s? 3 Things to Know

Certain genes like ApoE that play an important role in the disease. ApoE’s genetic variant, known as ApoE4, is the strongest genetic risk factor…

Managing Dementia Symptoms

By Tanner Jensen | February 17th, 2020

A Good Night’s Rest: Managing Sundowning and Sleep Issues in Alzheimer’s

Experiencing problems with disturbed or irregular sleep is common as people age. For people with dementia and their caregivers, these can be even bigger…

andrew budson, Six Steps to Managing Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia

By Nicholas Chan | August 24th, 2021

Dr. Andrew Budson on Dementia Caregiving, Symptoms Management

Whether it be coping with the cognitive, behavioral or psychological symptoms of dementia, adapting caregiver strategies throughout the different stages of the illness is…

how-to-talk-to-someone-with-aphasia-speech-loss

By Deborah Hersh | March 20th, 2023

Dementia and Word Loss: 5 Ways To Help People With Aphasia Communicate

Aphasia was in the news recently when the family of actor Bruce Willis announced he was stepping back from his career due to communication…

By Katy Koop | February 16th, 2023

Your Dementia Caregiving Questions Answered: a Q&A with Teepa Snow

As caregiving expert Teepa Snow is well-aware, better understanding dementia and supporting loved ones living with the disease is crucial. However, caregiving also comes…

Busting Brain Health Myths

By Simon Spichak, MSc | April 11th, 2023

Can You Treat Dementia With Coconut Oil? Here’s What the Studies Say

Like Kanye West, coconut oil has recently undergone a 180° change in its public perception. Coconut oil is a saturated fat meaning that it…

By Simon Spichak, MSc | November 8th, 2022

Foods to Reverse Dementia? Here’s What the Science Says

There are currently no cures or disease-modifying treatment for Alzheimer’s disease or dementia. Once a person is diagnosed, their symptoms — memory loss, personality…

By Simon Spichak, MSc | June 3rd, 2023

How Much Sleep Do You Need? Here’s What the Science Says

How much sleep do you need to keep your brain healthy? Here’s what the science says: 1) Not getting eight hours? Don’t panic: There…

By Oliver A.H. Jones | April 28th, 2023

‘Can Aluminum Pans Cause Dementia?’ A Chemist Looks to Science

“Are nonstick pans toxic”? “Can aluminum cookware cause dementia?” “Are my scratched pans still safe?” That’s just a sample of a few worrying headlines…

Recently Diagnosed?

Memory Advocate Peers program, Jim Taylor, Geri Taylor

By Simon Spichak, MSc | June 3rd, 2024

A Roadmap for Couples Facing a Dementia Diagnosis In NYC

What should you do when your loved one is newly diagnosed with Alzheimer’s? Receiving this life-changing news can shatter your world, so it is…

By Nicholas Chan | March 27th, 2020

‘Disarming the Diagnosis’: Jim Butler on Life After a Dementia Diagnosis

Being Patient spoke with Jim Butler, who was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s four years ago, about his efforts to “disarm” his diagnosis by rewiring his…

Gerda Saunders, Peter Saunders, dementia

By Nicholas Chan | May 12th, 2022

A Data Scientist Visualized Her Mother’s Cognitive Test Results — Here’s How It Helped Her Family

Inevitably, dementia affects a person’s identity, and it can take time to come to terms with some of the changes along the way. For…

chuck-mcclatchey-how-to-deal-with-an-alzheimers-diagnosis

By Nicholas Chan | May 19th, 2022

Adapting to Life With an Alzheimer’s Diagnosis: An Air Force Vet’s ‘How To’

Retired Air Force engineer Chuck McClatchey, who was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s at the age of 61, shares his story. Desert Storm veteran Chuck McClatchey,…

2/5 of Dementia Cases Are Preventable — Here's How

By Simon Spichak, MSc | October 12th, 2022

Can Healthy Diets Like the Mediterranean Diet Really Prevent Dementia?

Healthy diets seem to neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s. But new research calls everything we thought we knew about the Mediterranean diet into question. Why…

How do you prevent yourself from getting Alzheimer's disease?

By Simon Spichak and Alexandra Marvar | March 5th, 2024

Alzheimer’s May Be Preventable: Neurologists Say These 4 Things Matter Most

“How can I prevent Alzheimer’s?” There is no surefire way to cure or altogether avoid Alzheimer’s disease, but research shows you can take certain…

By Mylea Charvat | February 21st, 2023

Can 10,000 Steps a Day Keep Alzheimer’s Away? The Science of Exercise

Because there is no cure for Alzheimer’s and 99 percent of Alzheimer’s drugs in drug trials fail, those at risk for Alzheimer’s — for…

By Andrew Bubak, Diego Restrepo, and Maria Nagel, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus | February 13th, 2023

Hit and Run: How Viruses Could Spur Alzheimer’s—and How Vaccines Can Help

One in nine Americans ages 65 and over had Alzheimer’s disease in 2022, and countless others were indirectly affected as caregivers, health care providers…

Diversity & Dementia

By Alejandra O'Connell-Domenech | April 17th, 2023

The Brainchild of a College Class: A Latino Telenovela About Alzheimer’s

This article is part of the series Diversity & Dementia, produced by Being Patient with support provided by Eisai. A man in a bright yellow shirt…

By Rianna Patterson | February 28th, 2023

This Dementia Researcher’s Side Job: Supporting Black Women in Science

This article is part of the series Diversity & Dementia, produced by Being Patient with support provided by Eisai. For University of Cambridge PhD student and…