
The surprising new effect scientists hope weight loss drugs will have on dementia
Clinical trials in 2025 are assessing 138 treatments for dementia and Alzheimer's, an 11 per cent increase from the previous year, offering "hope" for prevention and treatment.
One trial is examining whether semaglutide, the active ingredient in weight loss drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy, can slow dementia progression.
Experts suggest 2025 could be a "landmark year" due to four drugs in large clinical trials that aim to prevent dementia, not just treat it.
The trials include drugs targeting amyloid protein build-up, a key characteristic of Alzheimer's, with the aim of providing treatments earlier to those with a genetic risk.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is reviewing donanemab and lecanemab, previously deemed not cost-effective, with a decision expected in the summer.
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BBC News
39 minutes ago
- BBC News
Patients will suffer if Addenbrooke's cuts go ahead, staff say
An NHS hospital worker who took part in a demonstration against planned job cuts has warned the cuts could lead to clinics being to 500 non-clinical roles at Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge are at risk after the government told it to cut the cost of its support functions to 2022 Robinson orders parts for "every vital piece of equipment" and said his job was "just as important as every other administrative role". The hospital said it needed to take difficult but necessary decisions to continue to "meet the needs of our patients now and in the future". The demonstration of Unite the Union members took place at the hospital during the workers' lunch break on University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (CUH), which runs Addenbrooke's, announced the proposed job losses at the end of in areas including finance, communication and administration are Robinson, who works in the administrative section of the clinical engineering team, said it was his job to order spare parts for broken equipment."We're responsible for all the important stuff such as ventilators and heart monitors - everything that keeps you alive," he said. "If there's a delay in getting things back into service, appointments could be cancelled, clinics could get cancelled." Porter Paul Hardingham is a team leader in the "very busy" emergency department, responsible for getting patients to wards "in a timely manner"."We are a vital role, without us you could add [wait] times on and that's not good enough for patients," he said. "The patient has to wait long enough to see a doctor or nurse, we don't want to see them waiting for porters to get them settled into wards."Unite regional officer Richard Gates said: "There's a real fear for those whose jobs are going, but also for those who are left and patients."If you haven't got the support staff, it's more demand on the frontline."A CUH spokesperson said the proposed cuts amounted to about 4% of its total 13,000 workforce."We appreciate it is a worrying and uncertain time for many colleagues working in the NHS," they said. "We are taking all possible steps to minimise redundancies, through natural turnover by not recruiting to posts when staff leave, holding vacancies empty and a mutually agreed resignation scheme."A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson previously said: "We are investing an extra £26bn in health and care, but that investment must be met by reform to turn around the NHS from the worst crisis in its history." Follow Cambridgeshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.


BBC News
39 minutes ago
- BBC News
Uncertainty over opening date for specialist school in Harrogate
Education chiefs have been unable to confirm when a new secondary school for children with autism will open in North Yorkshire. Officers at North Yorkshire Council said a date for the facility, on the site of the former Woodfield Community Primary School in Harrogate, could not be announced until an academy trust was assigned to run school, in Bilton, was initially due to open in September 2024, however the project was delayed. Education leaders were then hopeful the first pupils could start in September 2025, but parents have expressed concern this target could now also be missed. One mother, who asked not to be named, said her 11-year-old son may have to be educated at home if it failed to open for the upcoming academic year."It's ridiculous that it looks like it won't be open after all this time," she said."There are so many parents and children in need of this school opening as soon as possible."There are no other schools like it in Harrogate and my son is unable to travel to Leeds, Thirsk or York to go to another school that is similar due to his sensory needs and travel fatigue."The school is due to cater for 80 autistic pupils aged between 11 and 19. The council said the school would help to address a rising demand for specialist education in North Fielding, the authority's assistant director for inclusion, said: "We have progressed the building works as planned and are working with the Department for Education regarding which academy trust will be assigned."Until this process is concluded, we are not in a position to announce an opening date."Woodfield Community Primary School closed in 2022 after years of falling pupil numbers and an "inadequate" rating by agreed a £3.5m redevelopment to turn the site into a specialist school the following Local Democracy Reporting Service contacted the Department for Education for comment. Listen to highlights from North Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.


The Independent
40 minutes ago
- The Independent
How could winter fuel payments change after government U-turn?
In a latest U-turn after months of backlash, Sir Keir Starmer 's government has announced that more pensioners will receive the winter fuel allowance this winter. Rachel Reeves confirmed a change on the controversial cuts would be in place in time for this winter, but said the government would not set out details of exactly how the payment will be restored until the autumn Budget. There remains confusion over who will be affected by the changes, when they will be introduced and what they will entail, but pensions minister Torsten Bell has said that the payment would not be reinstated for everyone. What was the winter fuel payment cut? The winter fuel payment is a state benefit previously given to all pensioners to help with energy costs during the coldest months of the year. The decision to means-test the previously universal payment was one of the first announcements by Rachel Reeves when she became chancellor after Labour's landslide election victory last year, and it has been widely blamed for the party's collapse in support. The government has insisted the policy was necessary to help stabilise the public finances, and meant that the payment would only go to those on low incomes who received specified benefits such as pension credit. This meant the number of pensioners receiving the payment was reduced by around 10 million, from 11.4 million to 1.5 million. Several charities, MPs and unions criticised the decision, with several blaming it for the party's disappointing local election results. In November, it was revealed that the government's own figures indicated it would force 100,000 pensioners into poverty in 2026. How was the payment linked to pension credit? Only those who claim pension credit were able to receive the winter fuel payment in winter 2024. Those who are above state pension age and have an income of less than £218.15 a week, or less than £332.95 as a joint weekly income with your partner, are eligible for pension credit. However, despite the government's campaigns and an increase in claims after the July 2024 announcement, it is estimated that half a million eligible people fail to claim the benefit. How could the new system work? Speaking to the work and pensions committee, Mr Bell said: 'Directly on your question of is there any prospect of a universal winter fuel payment, the answer is no, the principle I think most people, 95 per cent of people, agree, that it's not a good idea that we have a system paying a few hundreds of pounds to millionaires, and so we're not going to be continuing with that. 'But we will be looking at making more pensioners eligible.' According to The Times, the threshold could be based on the average level of real household disposable income - currently around £37,000. Reports have also said that payments could be restored to all pensioners, before requiring better-off claimants to pay it back through tax bills over the course of the next financial year. The plans would resemble George Osborne's high income child benefit charge, which sees 1 per cent of total child benefit received taxed for every £100 earned over £60,000. It means that, over whatever threshold Ms Reeves sets for the payments, an amount will be clawed back from those on higher incomes. It would mean only those in the bottom half of average incomes will keep the payments, with the top half of earners forced to repay the grant through higher tax bills over the course of the year. The plans could cost around £700 million, with the chancellor vowing to set out her plans to pay for the change at her autumn Budget. Critics said it would be an 'administrative nightmare', however.