A new Alzheimer's drug is making headlines due to some impressive clinical trial results.
Headlines for a healthier you | | Anisa Arsenault, Associate Editorial Director | | | How Much Can Lecanemab Really Slow Cognitive Decline? | | While it's not yet FDA approved or on the market, a new Alzheimer's drug is making headlines due to some impressive clinical trial results. Last week, pharmaceutical companies Eisai and Biogen reported that their drug, lecanemab, reduced cognitive decline by 27% in patients who took the drug for 18 months. But what does it mean to "reduce cognitive decline?" And how much of a reduction is considered significant? The experts we spoke with say it might depend on a person's stage of dementia. | Know More | In the study, participants taking lecanemab improved by about half a point on the Clinical Dementia Rating scale, an 18-point scale that measures cognitive decline as well as the ability to perform routine tasks. Half a point may not mean a lot of improvement to someone with advanced Alzheimer's, but it could be pretty noticeable to someone in the early stages. | Feel Better | Even if it earns FDA approval, lecanemab won't cure Alzheimer's; it will just slow the rate of cognitive decline. Experts are hopeful that further research will show the drug can keep people with early signs of Alzheimer's independent for longer. | | | | What Else Should You Know | | How Long Will Immunity Last With the New COVID Booster? | Because people are only just beginning to get vaccinated with the bivalent COVID boosters, there's not a lot of documentation about how many COVID cases, hospitalizations, or even deaths occurred in those who received it. But based on data from other vaccine candidates, researchers think protection may last for about four to six months. | | | | | Why You Can't Hear In Some Situations | It's National Protect Your Hearing Month! Maybe your hearing is usually fine, but keeping up with a conversation in a restaurant is tricky, or you often have to ask people to repeat themselves. A defect in the cochlea may be to blame—the cause of "hidden" hearing loss. Here's how it's diagnosed. | | | | | | In Other News | | - Patients Can Now Access All Their Health Records Digitally. STAT
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