Not so long ago, receiving a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s was a devastating piece of news. Usually, such a diagnosis came after specific symptoms of cognitive decline appeared. Physicians had little to offer beyond recommendations for getting your affairs in order (assuming you still had decision-making capacity when the diagnosis was made). Today, while no one celebrates such a diagnosis, it often comes much earlier in the course of the disease, so that patients and their families are fully capable of understanding what such a diagnosis means, what can be done to slow down the disease process, what clinical trials are available, and what lifestyle changes can have a dramatic impact on the course of the disease. While no one wants to receive an Alzheimer’s diagnosis, the outlook is not nearly as dismal as it was even a decade ago.

That’s good news given the pending surge in diagnoses we will likely see in the coming years. Approximately 7 million Americans currently have an Alzheimer’s diagnosis and that number is expected to double by 2060. However, with blood tests now entering the market to detect biomarkers consistent with Alzheimer’s, many patients will be diagnosed well before they previously would have been, meaning valuable strategies to impact the course of the disease can be discussed and implemented. In fact, physicians who currently treat people diagnosed with Alzheimer’s are upbeat and hopeful that such patients can lead full and meaningful lives well into the future, especially if they have been diagnosed in the earliest stages of the disease. For information on how physicians determine what stage of Alzheimer’s a patient may be in, take a look here and here.

So why are treating physicians now more hopeful about an Alzheimer’s diagnosis? Research clinicians are excited about recent advances in drug treatment options (such as Lecanemab) and hopeful that with more patients participating in clinical trials, additional advances will create more therapeutic options for patients. Physicians directly treating patients with symptoms and diagnoses are more upbeat about what they can offer their patients and how patients themselves can take charge of improving their situation, despite the Alzheimer’s diagnosis. For example, in a recent informative article in The Wall Street Journal, Dr. Marc Agronin, a leading expert on Alzheimer’s, wrote very positively about the now “revolutionary” way physicians are treating and supporting Alzheimer’s patients. He particularly focuses on the range of lifestyle interventions he now recommends to patients (including eating better, exercising, keeping your brain active, etc) along with conditions he himself is on the lookout for, such as hearing loss, toxic exposure to certain pollutants and medications, sleep problems and negative aging attitudes. He emphasizes that addressing any of these will lessen your risk of getting diagnosed or delay the onset of serious symptoms. His key point? ”My message to patients is that preventing or ameliorating mild symptoms isn’t a race but a marathon over decades, and it requires consistent, longstanding lifestyle changes starting as early as possible in adulthood.“ Dr. Agronin also revealed his strategies for successfully dealing with Alzheimer’s, many of which rely on the patient to recognize risks and symptoms early enough to take effective action. 

Another enthusiast for Alzheimer’s Prevention strategies? Dr. Mark Hyman, a functional medicine specialist who is championing May 15th as Azheimer’s Prevention Day. Along with expert advice on diet and other strategies to reduce your risk and potentially slow symptoms if you’ve been diagnosed, the goal of Alzheimer’s Prevention Day is to educate patients as to how they can improve their chances of living longer, healthier lives without cognitive decline. The Prevention Day website has a Prevention Checklist you can fill out to better understand your lifestyle risks as well as expert videos on choices that will better protect your health and cognitive functioning. As Dr. Hyman makes clear, “Prevention is better than waiting for a cure.” So slice up an avocado and learn some valuable prevention strategies here.