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there’s a common myth about aging that dr. roger wong sees as prohibitive for a large segment of the greying canadian population. people think that memory loss and slower thinking is typical when you get into your later years. that’s just the way it goes, so there’s widespread acceptance and continued decline.
he’d like to see more awareness and understanding of alzheimer’s because prevalence is predicted to rise exponentially, with serious impacts on healthcare and growing numbers of family members who will take on the role of caregiver, putting their own lives and jobs on the sidelines. he cites the alzheimer society of canada’s comprehensive landmark study as mandatory reading to get a fuller picture of the future of alzheimer’s in canada and what can be done to mitigate “an impending dementia care crisis.” the first of the study’s three reports was released in september 2022.
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if you see signs of alzheimer’s, wong advises the best approach is to see a doctor early on for assessment to diagnose alzheimer’s or determine if there’s something else going on. equally important, he recommends getting informed about the disease through the alzheimer’s society of canada that offers information in english, french, and also in languages for underrepresented populations, such as chinese and punjabi, which is key. wong has found that people who speak minimal or no english present later with more advanced disease and behavioural changes. “the question really is do they present differently in terms of early alzheimer’s, or is it more likely they present later in the disease state, meaning they haven’t been able to access health care? so that’s a concern.”
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wong is hopeful about emerging treatments and promising research in the field. he highlights the medication donanemab that has been shown by a study of 1,700 patients published this july in jama to delay the inevitable worsening . it’s a different class of medications called monoclonal antibodies, which are laboratory-produced compounds that can clear out the amyloid protein that is abnormal and problematic in alzheimer’s. the manufacturer is seeking approval for donanemab from the u.s. food and drug administration.
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