MINNEAPOLIS — It’s been a big week for advocates and researchers committed to fighting Alzheimer’s disease and other dementia.
About 10,000 people gathered for the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference (AAIC) in Amsterdam this week. Among the most notable findings shared by researchers was progress on a blood test to detect the disease, in addition to data showing more rural communities – including Greater Minnesota – seeing higher rates of dementia.
Susan Parriott, chief executive officer of the Alzheimer’s Association, Minnesota, North Dakota chapter also celebrated developments related to the Eli Lilly drug, donanemab.
“They’re the best results of all three drugs that have come forward, “ Parriott told KARE 11’s Karla Hult about the drug that could receive full FDA approval before the end of the year.
Meantime, Hult also connected with Dr. Dave Fabry, chief innovation officer at Starkey, about a new Lancet study establishing causation – not just correlation – between hearing loss and cognitive decline. The study showed that, within a subgroup more likely to develop dementia, hearing aids slowed the rate of cognitive decline by 48 percent.
“When they start to lose hearing, they stop participating in family events, social gatherings, engagements. That leads to loneliness, depression, isolation, and certainly we’ve seen correlations with cognitive decline,” Fabry said, adding, “I would encourage anyone who has hearing loss and they have that risk factor [for dementia] do something about it.”
Learn more about Parriott’s response to the AAIC and Dr. Fabry’s insights on the Lancet study at the attached videos.
You can actually test your hearing on the Starkey website, where you can also learn more about the services and products available at the country’s only global manufacturer of hearing aids.
You can also read more about the AAIC and other Alzheimer’s-related news from the Alzheimer’s Association here.
Full disclosure: Karla Hult herself remains an advocate for those on the Alzheimer’s journey after losing her own dad to the cruel disease in 2019. Hult also started So Many Goodbyes as a resource for others on this difficult journey on Father’s Day, 2021.
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