(image credit: Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist)
Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist became the first health system in the region to treat a patient with lecanemab, a new medication for Alzheimer’s disease. This is the first Alzheimer’s drug approved by the FDA in more than 20 years.
Alzheimer’s disease is a type of dementia that affects memory, thinking and behavior. It is a progressive disease, with symptoms gradually worsening over several years. Lecanemab slows the progression of the disease by removing amyloid, a protein in the brain.
“Researchers do not fully understand the cause of Alzheimer’s disease, but a leading hypothesis is that amyloid plays a significant role in some of the memory loss,” said Dr. Jo Cleveland, director of the Memory Assessment and Support Clinic at Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist’s Sticht Center for Healthy Aging and Alzheimer’s Prevention.
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