Latest news with #SarahHartz
Yahoo
12-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Latest Alzheimer's Drugs Can Add Years of Independence to Patient Lives
While researchers continue to work on a full cure for Alzheimer's disease, they're finding treatments that can help manage symptoms and delay their onset, including the recently approved next-gen therapies lecanemab and donanemab. Both treatments have been approved by US regulators in the last couple of years, and they work by clearing out some of the amyloid protein plaques in the brain that are linked to Alzheimer's. However, there's some debate over how effective they are. To quantify the effectiveness of lecanemab and donanemab in more meaningful terms, researchers from the Washington University School of Medicine (WashU Medicine) recruited 282 volunteers with Alzheimer's, analyzing the impacts of taking these drugs over an average of nearly three years. "What we were trying to do was figure out how to give people a piece of information that would be meaningful to them and help them make decisions about their care," says Sarah Hartz, a professor of psychiatry at WashU Medicine. "What people want to know is how long they will be able to live independently, not something abstract like the percent change in decline." The researchers measured two different types of independence: being able to live with day-to-day responsibilities (so dealing with appointments and bills, for example), and being able to care for yourself alone (for instance, the basics of washing and dressing). Those with very mild Alzheimer's symptoms, who may have difficulty remembering dates and medications, would live independently for another 29 months without treatment on average, the estimates showed. A person with this same level of dementia could expect around 10 additional months of independence on lecanemab and 13 months of independence on donanemab, the estimates suggest. However, it's important to note that these figures are averages, and different patients have different responses to these drugs. "My patients want to know, how long can I drive? How long will I be able to take care of my own personal hygiene? How much time would this treatment give me?" says Suzanne Schindler, a physician and a professor of neurology at WashU Medicine. "The question of whether or not these drugs would be helpful for any particular person is complicated and has to do with not only medical factors, but the patient's priorities, preferences and risk tolerance." It's important to mention that these therapies come with downsides too: they're expensive, require regular infusions, and can lead to potentially dangerous side effects such as brain swelling and brain bleeds. Those with Alzheimer's and their families therefore need to weigh up the potential pros and cons – and the possible implications later in life. "The purpose of this study is not to advocate for or against these medications," says Hartz. "The purpose of the paper is to put the impact of these medications into context in ways that can help people make the decisions that are best for themselves and their family members." The research has been published in Alzheimer's & Dementia: Translational Research & Clinical Interventions. COVID Was Declared a Pandemic 5 Years Ago. Are We Better Prepared Today? Humans Can Host a Variety of Parasitic Worms. Here's How to Spot The Signs. Scientists Discover a Trait in Speech That Foreshadows Cognitive Decline
Yahoo
20-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Two Alzheimer's drugs help patients live independently at home for longer periods
Two widely touted Alzheimer's drugs have been shown to enable patients to remain in their homes, living independently, for longer periods of time. Those medications, while effective, are not without their risks and side effects, however. That's according to a study published last week in the Alzheimer's Association journal. Red Meat Could Raise Dementia Risk, Researchers Claim, Yet Some Doctors Have Questions Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis analyzed how long 282 Alzheimer's patients were able to continue living independently after taking two specific treatments: lecanemab (Leqembi) and donanemab (Kisunla). Both FDA-approved medications are designed to remove amyloid beta plaques from the brains of people with early-stage Alzheimer's disease, potentially slowing the rate of cognitive decline. Read On The Fox News App Patients who took lecanemab extended their time at home for an additional 10 months, while donanemab enabled them to live independently for eight more months, according to a WashU press release. On average, a patient with mild symptoms could expect to live independently for another 29 months without treatment, 39 months with lecanemab and 37 months with donanemab, according to the release. Memory Loss Isn't Always Alzheimer's: Experts Warn Of Common But Little-known Dementia These results were based on patients who began treatment with "very mild symptoms." "Using the data from the clinical trials, we calculated that, for an average patient with very mild symptoms due to Alzheimer disease dementia, treatment with either lecanemab or donanemab would be expected to extend independent living for around one year," senior author Sarah Hartz, M.D., PhD, a professor of psychiatry at WashU Medicine, told Fox News Digital. "If you think of the cost and consequences of not being able to live independently, this may be significant to many older adults." This study gives patients and their families a way to translate clinical trial findings into meaningful outcomes, according to Hartz. "For example, if a patient is considering taking lecanemab or donanemab to treat their AD, part of the discussion with their doctor can be how long they would expect the drug to prolong their independence, both in terms of being able to live independently and being able to independently care for their own bodies." 3 Signs Your Aging Loved One May Be Ready For Assisted Living The purpose of the study is not to advocate for or against these medications, Hartz noted in a press release. "The purpose … is to put the impact of these medications into context in ways that can help people make the decisions that are best for themselves and their family members." Christopher Weber, PhD, senior director of global science initiatives at the Alzheimer's Association, was not involved in the study but shared his input with Fox News Digital. "This study suggests that these drugs have a clinically meaningful impact for early Alzheimer's patients and their families by providing more time in the early stages of the disease, when patients have more functional independence," he said. The study findings highlight the importance of starting treatment early to maximize the potential benefits, according to Weber, as starting at a more advanced point resulted in fewer months of independence. Click Here To Sign Up For Our Health Newsletter "The advances we're seeing in Alzheimer's treatments build upon decades of research, and underscore the importance of continued innovation and investment in this field in order to better understand the underlying biology and trajectory of the disease, detect it earlier, and effectively treat and prevent it," he added. The biggest limitation of the study, according to Hartz, is that the participants were very dedicated to Alzheimer's research and were typically highly educated. "We don't know how well our findings translate to the rest of the population," she acknowledged. Dr. Chris Vercammen, a board-certified internal medicine physician who specializes in geriatrics and palliative care, emphasized that while the two drugs can extend periods of independence for people with Alzheimer's, "lecanemab and donanemab do not stop or reverse Alzheimer's disease." "It's also important to understand that these new drugs are only beneficial for individuals in the early stages of the disease," the doctor, who is also medical director at Remo Health in California, told Fox News Digital. (Vercammen was not involved in the new study.) Anyone considering these treatments should have an "in-depth conversation" with a doctor about the potential benefits and weigh them against the "significant risks" involved, according to Vercammen. "These risks include the possibility of serious side effects, such as brain swelling and bleeding, as well as the substantial financial costs associated with treatment, even if you have insurance coverage," he cautioned. For people who may benefit from these treatments, Hartz recommended they talk to their doctors and review the potential risks and benefits. For more Health articles, visit "This information could help contextualize how the medications may benefit them in terms of independence," she added. Fox News Digital reached out to the makers of Leqembi and Kisunla to request article source: Two Alzheimer's drugs help patients live independently at home for longer periods
Fox News
20-02-2025
- Health
- Fox News
Two Alzheimer's drugs help patients live independently at home for longer periods
Two widely touted Alzheimer's drugs have been shown to enable patients to remain in their homes, living independently, for longer periods of time. Those medications, while effective, are not without their risks and side effects, however. That's according to a recent study published last week in the Alzheimer's Association journal. Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis analyzed how long 282 Alzheimer's patients were able to continue living independently after taking two specific treatments: lecanemab (Leqembi) and donanemab (Kisunla). Both FDA-approved medications are designed to remove amyloid beta plaques from the brains of people with early-stage Alzheimer's disease, potentially slowing the rate of cognitive decline. Patients who took lecanemab extended their time at home for an additional 10 months, while donanemab enabled them to live independently for eight more months, according to a WashU press release. On average, a patient with mild symptoms could expect to live independently for another 29 months without treatment, 39 months with lecanemab and 37 months with donanemab, according to the release. These results were based on patients who began treatment with "very mild symptoms." "If you think of the cost and consequences of not being able to live independently, this may be significant to many older adults." "Using the data from the clinical trials, we calculated that, for an average patient with very mild symptoms due to Alzheimer disease dementia, treatment with either lecanemab or donanemab would be expected to extend independent living for around one year," senior author Sarah Hartz, MD, PhD, a professor of psychiatry at WashU Medicine, told Fox News Digital. "If you think of the cost and consequences of not being able to live independently, this may be significant to many older adults." This study gives patients and their families a way to translate clinical trial findings into meaningful outcomes, according to Hartz. "For example, if a patient is considering taking lecanemab or donanemab to treat their AD, part of the discussion with their doctor can be how long they would expect the drug to prolong their independence, both in terms of being able to live independently and being able to independently care for their own bodies." The purpose of the study is not to advocate for or against these medications, Hartz noted in a press release. "The purpose … is to put the impact of these medications into context in ways that can help people make the decisions that are best for themselves and their family members." Christopher Weber, Ph.D., senior director of global science initiatives at the Alzheimer's Association, was not involved in the study but shared his input with Fox News Digital. "This study suggests that these drugs have a clinically meaningful impact for early Alzheimer's patients and their families by providing more time in the early stages of the disease, when patients have more functional independence," he said. The study findings highlight the importance of starting treatment early to maximize the potential benefits, according to Weber, as starting at a more advanced point resulted in fewer months of independence. "The advances we're seeing in Alzheimer's treatments build upon decades of research, and underscore the importance of continued innovation and investment in this field in order to better understand the underlying biology and trajectory of the disease, detect it earlier, and effectively treat and prevent it," he added. The biggest limitation of the study, according to Hartz, is that the participants were very dedicated to Alzheimer's research and were typically highly educated. "We don't know how well our findings translate to the rest of the population," she acknowledged. Dr. Chris Vercammen, a board-certified internal medicine physician who specializes in geriatrics and palliative care, emphasized that while the two drugs can extend periods of independence for people with Alzheimer's, "lecanemab and donanemab do not stop or reverse Alzheimer's disease." "It's also important to understand that these new drugs are only beneficial for individuals in the early stages of the disease," the doctor, who is also medical director at Remo Health in California, told Fox News Digital. (Vercammen was not involved in the new study.) Anyone considering these treatments should have an "in-depth conversation" with a doctor about the potential benefits and weigh them against the "significant risks" involved, according to Vercammen. "These risks include the possibility of serious side effects, such as brain swelling and bleeding, as well as the substantial financial costs associated with treatment, even if you have insurance coverage," he cautioned. "These new drugs are only beneficial for individuals in the early stages of the disease." For people that may benefit from these treatments, Hartz recommend that they talk to their doctors and review the potential risks and benefits. For more Health articles, visit "This information could help contextualize how the medications may benefit them in terms of independence," she added. Fox News Digital reached out to the makers of Leqembi and Kisunla to request comment.
CNN
14-02-2025
- Health
- CNN
‘How long can I live on my own?' The pros and cons of new Alzheimer's drugs
Imagine you have just been diagnosed with mild cognitive decline due to Alzheimer's disease. Your doctor might suggest taking one of the newer medications such as lecanemab or donanemab, which have been shown in clinical trials to clear plaque-causing amyloid proteins from the brain that are the hallmark of Alzheimer's. Both drugs require time-consuming biweekly or monthly infusions, however, and carry the risk of life-threatening swelling or bleeding in the brain. Then there's the expense — even on Medicare, co-pays for the year can be thousands of dollars. Related video A new potential Alzheimer's test can find symptoms before they begin to show Are these downsides worth the risk? You may decide the answer is yes if you knew how much longer you might live independently, said Dr. Sarah Hartz, a professor of psychiatry at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. She is the lead author of a new study that estimated the amount of time people might continue to perform daily activities without assistance after beginning lecanemab, marketed as Leqembi, or donanemab, marketed as Kisunla. 'Patients want to know how long a drug will allow them to keep driving, pay their own bills, cook at home and dress themselves,' Hartz said. Calculations ranged from eight months to an additional 39 months of independent living, depending on the severity of the disease when medication was started. 'We wouldn't want people to count on these numbers as definitive, however, because it's just an estimate and depends on the person and where they are at in their cognitive decline,' Hartz said. 'Instead, they should use these estimates to structure a conversation with their doctor about going on the medication: 'OK, is this right for me or not?'' Using language that is meaningful to patients when discussing disease prognosis is a huge benefit for both clinicians and patients, said neurologist Dr. Richard Isaacson, director of research at the Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases in Boca Raton, Florida. He was not involved in the study. 'However, these are not miracle drugs, so please keep that in mind,' Isaacson said. 'All that happens is that people get less worse over time — instead of declining by three years, they decline by two years.' Estimating ability to live without assistance The study, published Thursday in the journal Alzheimer's & Dementia: Translational Research & Clinical Interventions, analyzed Washington University data on the natural progression of Alzheimer's disease in 282 patients who had not been treated with medication. 'We looked at four different specific functions: Could the person pay their bills, drive a car, manage their own calendar and medications, and prepare their own meals?' Hartz said. 'We defined the loss of independent living as needing assistance on at least three of those.' The amount of time untreated patients spent living independently was used to create a timetable of decline. That trajectory was then compared with what was seen in patients using lecanemab and donanemab during each drug's clinical trial. A person with typical mild cognitive decline, such as forgetting appointments or being unable to follow conversations fully, could expect to live independently for 29 months without treatment, the analysis showed. Taking donanemab added eight months of independence, while taking lecanemab added 10 months, according to the calculations. While those additional months may not appear to be a long extension of independence, the estimates could be meaningful for some people, Hartz said. 'The drugs are very expensive, but once you compare that to the cost of a residential care facility or a nursing home, you might have a different perspective,' she said. People with mild but obvious symptoms — such as repeating the same questions or getting lost — who already live in a residential facility also want to know when they will need additional, more expensive care, Hartz said. At this stage of the disease, researchers estimated donanemab provided an additional 19 months of being able to dress, eat and bathe independently. Lecanemab provided 26 additional months of self-care. 'I want to stress that the purpose of this study was not to advocate for or against these medications,' Hartz said. 'The purpose of the paper is to put the impact of these medications into context in ways that can help people make the decisions that are best for themselves and their family members.' However, the analysis used in the study assumed changes in dementia scores 'are linear and can be equated to changes in months of life. This has never been validated,' said Dr. Alberto Espay, a professor of neurology at the University of Cincinnati and director and research endowed chair of the university's Gardner Family Center for Parkinson's Disease and Movement Disorders. 'Further, 'extension of independence' means statistically longer time in the same state before further decline, not statistical improvement,' Espay said in an email. 'This is important because patients cannot be counseled that they will improve if on treatment.' Instead, he added, patients have to 'hope that their decline will be slower than if they were not on treatment' while also hoping that they will not experience brain swelling or bleeding. Concern with Alzheimer's disease drugs When the US Food and Drug Administration fast-tracked the approval of lecanemab and later donanemab, some doctors said they were skeptical whether the modest improvement seen in clinical trials was worth the risk. Randomized controlled clinical trials found people taking lecanemab slowed their decline by 27% at 18 months compared with those who were not on the drug. That difference was about half a point on a commonly used scale to measure dementia progression. People with mild cognitive decline on donanemab had about a 35% lower risk of progression over a year and a half compared with those who received a placebo. However, the side effects could be brutal. Lecanemab can cause allergic reactions, confusion and dizziness, heart palpitations, muscle and joint pain, seizures, severe headaches, and flu-like symptoms, to name a few. Six deaths occurred among people taking lecanemab, and 2.8% of the participants in the drug trial experienced ARIA-E, or amyloid-related imaging abnormalities – edema, which involves bleeding and swelling in the brain, according to a report by doctors at Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine. No one who took a placebo experienced those reactions. During the clinical trial for donanemab, 2.9% of those on the drug had a serious side effect related to ARIA-E, and three patients died, according to the Alzheimer's Society. Nearly 13% experienced different serious side effects, the health organization reported. To take the medications, patients must undergo regular brain scans to check for bleeding and swelling and be carefully monitored by their doctors. Due to an even larger risk of ARIA-E, both drugs are used with greater caution, if at all, for people with two copies of the APOE-4 gene, which indicates a genetic disposition for Alzheimer's. Treatments for Alzheimer's are desperately needed, experts say. The number of people projected to have the disease is predicted to grow to nearly 14 million by 2060, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. As of 2023, an estimated 6.7 million Americans 65 and older live with Alzheimer's. CNN's Brenda Goodman contributed to this story.
CNN
13-02-2025
- Health
- CNN
‘How long can I live on my own?' The pros and cons of new Alzheimer's drugs
Imagine you have just been diagnosed with mild cognitive decline due to Alzheimer's disease. Your doctor might suggest taking one of the newer medications such as lecanemab or donanemab, which have been shown in clinical trials to clear plaque-causing amyloid proteins from the brain that are the hallmark of Alzheimer's. Both drugs require time-consuming biweekly or monthly infusions, however, and carry the risk of life-threatening swelling or bleeding in the brain. Then there's the expense — even on Medicare, co-pays for the year can be thousands of dollars. Related video A new potential Alzheimer's test can find symptoms before they begin to show Are these downsides worth the risk? You may decide the answer is yes if you knew how much longer you might live independently, said Dr. Sarah Hartz, a professor of psychiatry at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. She is the lead author of a new study that estimated the amount of time people might continue to perform daily activities without assistance after beginning lecanemab, marketed as Leqembi, or donanemab, marketed as Kisunla. 'Patients want to know how long a drug will allow them to keep driving, pay their own bills, cook at home and dress themselves,' Hartz said. Calculations ranged from eight months to an additional 39 months of independent living, depending on the severity of the disease when medication was started. 'We wouldn't want people to count on these numbers as definitive, however, because it's just an estimate and depends on the person and where they are at in their cognitive decline,' Hartz said. 'Instead, they should use these estimates to structure a conversation with their doctor about going on the medication: 'OK, is this right for me or not?'' Using language that is meaningful to patients when discussing disease prognosis is a huge benefit for both clinicians and patients, said neurologist Dr. Richard Isaacson, director of research at the Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases in Boca Raton, Florida. He was not involved in the study. 'However, these are not miracle drugs, so please keep that in mind,' Isaacson said. 'All that happens is that people get less worse over time — instead of declining by three years, they decline by two years.' Estimating ability to live without assistance The study, published Thursday in the journal Alzheimer's & Dementia: Translational Research & Clinical Interventions, analyzed Washington University data on the natural progression of Alzheimer's disease in 282 patients who had not been treated with medication. 'We looked at four different specific functions: Could the person pay their bills, drive a car, manage their own calendar and medications, and prepare their own meals?' Hartz said. 'We defined the loss of independent living as needing assistance on at least three of those.' The amount of time untreated patients spent living independently was used to create a timetable of decline. That trajectory was then compared with what was seen in patients using lecanemab and donanemab during each drug's clinical trial. A person with typical mild cognitive decline, such as forgetting appointments or being unable to follow conversations fully, could expect to live independently for 29 months without treatment, the analysis showed. Taking donanemab added eight months of independence, while taking lecanemab added 10 months, according to the calculations. While those additional months may not appear to be a long extension of independence, the estimates could be meaningful for some people, Hartz said. 'The drugs are very expensive, but once you compare that to the cost of a residential care facility or a nursing home, you might have a different perspective,' she said. People with mild but obvious symptoms — such as repeating the same questions or getting lost — who already live in a residential facility also want to know when they will need additional, more expensive care, Hartz said. At this stage of the disease, researchers estimated donanemab provided an additional 19 months of being able to dress, eat and bathe independently. Lecanemab provided 26 additional months of self-care. 'I want to stress that the purpose of this study was not to advocate for or against these medications,' Hartz said. 'The purpose of the paper is to put the impact of these medications into context in ways that can help people make the decisions that are best for themselves and their family members.' However, the analysis used in the study assumed changes in dementia scores 'are linear and can be equated to changes in months of life. This has never been validated,' said Dr. Alberto Espay, a professor of neurology at the University of Cincinnati and director and research endowed chair of the university's Gardner Family Center for Parkinson's Disease and Movement Disorders. 'Further, 'extension of independence' means statistically longer time in the same state before further decline, not statistical improvement,' Espay said in an email. 'This is important because patients cannot be counseled that they will improve if on treatment.' Instead, he added, patients have to 'hope that their decline will be slower than if they were not on treatment' while also hoping that they will not experience brain swelling or bleeding. Concern with Alzheimer's disease drugs When the US Food and Drug Administration fast-tracked the approval of lecanemab and later donanemab, some doctors said they were skeptical whether the modest improvement seen in clinical trials was worth the risk. Randomized controlled clinical trials found people taking lecanemab slowed their decline by 27% at 18 months compared with those who were not on the drug. That difference was about half a point on a commonly used scale to measure dementia progression. People with mild cognitive decline on donanemab had about a 35% lower risk of progression over a year and a half compared with those who received a placebo. However, the side effects could be brutal. Lecanemab can cause allergic reactions, confusion and dizziness, heart palpitations, muscle and joint pain, seizures, severe headaches, and flu-like symptoms, to name a few. Six deaths occurred among people taking lecanemab, and 2.8% of the participants in the drug trial experienced ARIA-E, or amyloid-related imaging abnormalities – edema, which involves bleeding and swelling in the brain, according to a report by doctors at Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine. No one who took a placebo experienced those reactions. During the clinical trial for donanemab, 2.9% of those on the drug had a serious side effect related to ARIA-E, and three patients died, according to the Alzheimer's Society. Nearly 13% experienced different serious side effects, the health organization reported. To take the medications, patients must undergo regular brain scans to check for bleeding and swelling and be carefully monitored by their doctors. Due to an even larger risk of ARIA-E, both drugs are used with greater caution, if at all, for people with two copies of the APOE-4 gene, which indicates a genetic disposition for Alzheimer's. Treatments for Alzheimer's are desperately needed, experts say. The number of people projected to have the disease is predicted to grow to nearly 14 million by 2060, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. As of 2023, an estimated 6.7 million Americans 65 and older live with Alzheimer's. CNN's Brenda Goodman contributed to this story.
