Last year, I was able to attend the entire annual AAIC conference on-line, and I learned a lot. This is the largest Alzheimer's conference in the world, and many new research findings and test results are revealed there. In the past, all meetings were in-person, but covid necessitated moving the entire 2020 event on-line -- and for free! It was great.
This year's event was held last week as a hybrid event -- on-line or in person in Denver, CO -- and it wasn't all that free. I did register, but I had limited opportunity to participate due to my need travel to the east coast last week. I do still have access to the plenary sessions and news releases. I found the following were the most interesting study topics:
One: Several studies addressed the correlation between air pollution and the development of Alzheimer's disease. We have discussed this in the past, but the research has now gone a step further. We knew before that there was a statistical correlation between living in an environment with elevated air pollution and the incidence of Alzheimer's disease. But recent research presented at the meeting found that by reducing air pollution we can reduce the frequency or delay the onset of Alzheimer's disease.
Pollutants of concern are traffic-related oxides of nitrogen and particulates. We noted before that the particulates likely enter the brain along the path of the olfactory nerve.
Two: The number of people living with dementia is expected to triple world-wide by 2050, but research continues to support our own premise that wise lifestyle choices can impact this prospect. The conference highlighted education and making education more freely available in places where it's hard to come by. Early education experience, especially that involving language, is correlated with a lesser incidence of Alzheimer's disease. Of course, they also discussed improving air quality, and they underscored what can be done by reducing diabetes and heart disease, since those influence the incidence of Alzheimer's disease. The latter are, in turn, affected by diet and exercise.
Three: A panel of experts has formulated some tentative rules on the use of Aduhelm/aducanumab. These were applauded. The rules address who should and who should not be given the treatment, how should they be monitored, and under what conditions treatment should be stopped. Not long ago, guidance was issued that it should only be given to people with mild symptoms of Alzheimer's disease, not severe. The panel also suggested ruling out cases where there was evidence of stroke, and it left several situations open to further evaluation.
Four: It's well known that African-Americans and some other minorities are under-represented in Alzheimer's research study populations, even though they have a higher incidence of Alzheimer's disease. There is a need to increase their participation. It turns out that people of all backgrounds are more willing to participate in a drug trial when they are invited, especially when it's by someone of their own race. A new tool was presented that may facilitate this.
Five: There is growing concern over a correlation between a considerable worsening cognitive ability and a history of covid infection. (We commented before on how this might occur.) More study is needed, since we don't know if a covid infection will lead to a continuing acceleration of Alzheimer's disease symptoms, or if it only occurs during and shortly after the infection.
And there was more. Click here.
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