About 7 million adults 65 or older are living with Alzheimer's disease in the U.S. It’s the most common cause of dementia, a gradual decline in memory, thinking, behavior and social skills. By 2050, the number of adults in the U.S. with Alzheimer's disease is projected to reach nearly 13 million.
Many cases of Alzheimer's and related dementias go undiagnosed, significantly impacting the U.S. population and the health care system.
In a three-part series, the AMA has partnered with the Alzheimer’s Association and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to cover screening and diagnosis, risk reduction (with a focus on chronic disease), and treatment of this debilitating disease.
The series on navigating brain health and dementia is part of the AMA Ed Hub™️, an online learning platform that brings together high-quality CME, maintenance of certification, and educational content from trusted sources, all in one place—with activities relevant to you, automated credit tracking, and reporting for some states and specialty boards.
“Many physicians wait for their patients to raise concerns about their cognitive decline. But, understand, with early detection we can identify and treat reversible causes of dementia,” said Sandra A. Fryhofer, MD, an internist and a member of the AMA Board of Trustees, and host of all three brain-health episodes on the AMA Ed Hub.
Learn more about AMA CME accreditation, and explore the individual episodes in the series.
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“Screening and Diagnosis of Alzheimer's and Related Dementias”
- Dr. Fryhofer and Alzheimer’s Association CEO Joanne Pike, DrPH, joined experts to cover key trends in Alzheimer's epidemiology and other dementias. They also discussed screening options and considerations for dementia and cognitive impairment in specific populations.
- Rachel Whitmer, PhD, professor of public health sciences and neurology and chief of the division of epidemiology at the University of California, Davis, discussed the risk factors that can increase likelihood of Alzheimer’s. These include obesity, smoking, high cholesterol and high blood pressure. Barak Gaster, MD, a professor of medicine at the University of Washington, detailed strategies for screening and diagnosis and the importance of scheduling cognitive evaluation visits.
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“Risk Reduction for Alzheimer's and Related Dementias”
- This session identifies modifiable risk factors for dementia, effective interventions and strategies to address modifiable risk factors with patients, and disparities in risk factors among different patient populations. Cynthia Carlsson, MD, professor of medicine and geriatrics at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, and director of the Wisconsin Alzheimer's Institute, discussed the associations between vascular risk factors and cognitive decline. She also advised physicians on how to counsel patients on vascular disease and brain health.
- Kate Kirley, MD, a family physician and the AMA’s director of chronic disease prevention and programs, also joined Dr. Fryhofer to discuss interventions and strategies to manage hypertension and diabetes. This is important because there is growing scientific evidence that the same healthy behaviors that prevent diabetes, cancer and heart disease may also reduce risk for subjective cognitive disorders.
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“Treatment of Alzheimer's and Related Dementias”
- In this session, Dr. Fryhofer and a panel of experts explored issues related to the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias, including a model that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is piloting.
- Experts also discussed the landscape of available therapeutics for Alzheimer’s patients. The panel included: Oscar Lopez, MD, director of the University of Pittsburgh’s Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, David Reuben, MD, chief of the Division of Geriatrics at the University of California, Los Angeles Center for Health Sciences, and Stephen Salloway, MD, MS, professor of psychiatry and human behavior and professor of neurology at Brown University’s Warren Alpert Medical School.
For nearly 20 years, the Alzheimer's Association has worked with the CDC on the Healthy Brain Initiative, which takes a life-course approach to addressing cognitive health and dementia.
“Through this public health initiative, we are paving the way for better brain health, earlier detection and diagnosis, and improved community clinical linkages when treatment and care are needed the most,” said Pike.
