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What difference could new Alzheimer鈥檚 disease drugs make?

Two treatments have shown promise in slowing Alzheimer鈥檚 disease, but what does this mean for people living with the condition?

Until recently, breakthroughs in treating Alzheimer鈥檚 disease were non-existent. But two new drugs have shown promise in moderately slowing memory and thinking problems for people with early-stage disease. While welcoming the idea of a 鈥榥ew era鈥 for treating Alzheimer鈥檚 disease, how much of a difference could these drugs make for people living with the condition?

James Gallagher visits a Memory Caf茅 in Doynton to hear about the daily challenges people living with dementia face, and their feelings about the new treatments on the horizon. Lauren Walker, Alzheimer鈥檚 disease researcher at Newcastle University, gives an overview of the protein these drugs target in the brain, and Liz Coulthard, Professor of Cognitive Neurology at the University of Bristol, explains how these treatments might impact patient's lives.

After listening to our 鈥淗ow hot is too hot for human health?鈥 programme, one of our listeners contacted insidehealth@bbc.co.uk to ask how the heat experienced during a hot flush impacts the body. James asks Clare Eglin, lecturer in applied physiology at the University of Portsmouth, what happens in the body during a hot flush and hears about how many others symptoms are actually caused by the menopause from GP, Margaret McCartney.

Presenter: James Gallagher
Producer: Julia Ravey
Editor: Erika Wright
Production Co-ordinator: Johnathan Harris
Technical Producer: Tim Heffer

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28 minutes

Last on

Wed 9 Aug 2023 15:30

Broadcasts

  • Tue 8 Aug 2023 21:00
  • Wed 9 Aug 2023 15:30

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