Research suggests Hope for the Future of Dementia, but what about today?
Last week we learned that an Alzheimer’s drug in Phase 3 did not progress (http://www.cnn.com/2016/11/24/health/alzheimers-drug-test-fails/) and this week we learned that early-onset Alzheimer’s might be detectable by a gene mutation (http://www.cbsnews.com/videos/the-alzheimers-laboratory/). The results of the Colombia Gene Mutation study are expected in 2021.
Ever since I started in this field, research for a cure has gone back and forth. The key to determining how to cure any type of dementia is finding the cause(s). Once we determine what may be causing it we can start working on how to cure it or even just slow the progression. Don’t become discouraged when studies do not progress to the next step or succeed in finding a cure or a way to slow the progression of dementia. Studies like these, even those that fail help point us in a different or new, perhaps better, direction.
Additionally, it is important to remember that Alzheimer’s is just one type of dementia and what causes Alzheimer’s may not cause Lewy Body’s Dementia, Fronto Temporal Dementia, Vascular Dementia, or any other type of dementia. As we cure one type, we may have a long way to go before we cure all dementia.
However, in the meantime there are still over 46 million people living with a type of dementia worldwide. For every person with dementia, there are approximately 3 people contributing to the care of that person with dementia. So while some in the field focus on research, there are many of us that work on managing dementia and improving the experience right now for families and those impacted by dementia. Trovato, LLC is one of the many organizations that can offer hope and assistance.
Please keep that in mind that as the research moves forward, there are still millions of people impacted by dementia as we wait for a cure. There is hope now and there will be more hope to come!