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Geriatrician helps educate about new Alzheimer’s treatment

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Alzheimer's form with brain scans and medication laying on top of it

A geriatrician at EVMS Medical Group, part of Macon & Joan Brock Virginia Health Sciences at Old Dominion University, has joined a nationwide effort to educate physicians and healthcare professionals about the benefits and risks of a new treatment for early Alzheimer’s disease.

Hamid Okhravi, MD, the Alfred Abiouness Distinguished Professor of Medicine and director of the Comprehensive Memory Center at Macon & Joan Brock Virginia Health Sciences at Old Dominion University, is among the authors of a comprehensive look at the use of amyloid-targeting antibodies that was published in Alzheimer’s & Dementia, the journal of the Alzheimer’s Association. The Alzheimer's Association's Clinical Meaningfulness Workgroup invited Dr. Okhravi to act as co-author to share his advice as a physician/scientist who studied the new treatment and offers it to his patients.

Research has shown the potential for amyloid-targeting antibodies to help slow the advance of Alzheimer’s disease. With recent FDA approval, the revolutionary infusion treatment is gaining widespread acceptance and usage.

The journal article provides practical advice for how physicians alert patients about treatment eligibility, benefits, risks, side effects, genetic testing, and treatment costs. For instance, the authors recommend the initial conversation with a patient who may have early signs of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) include simple language such as:

“There's a protein building up in your brain, called amyloid, that is implicated in memory and thinking problems in AD. As the build-up increases, brain cells are damaged and thinking difficulties often get worse, which can result in problems managing daily life and produce changes in personality along with behavioral symptoms. However, we now have new treatments that reduce brain amyloid and, in some people, can slow the progression of AD and the decline in memory, thinking, and functioning.”

Dr. Okhravi says the arrival of the new treatment presents healthcare professionals with a rapidly changing landscape.

“These disease-modifying therapies offer hope, but also come with complex challenges,” Dr. Okhravi said. “It’s crucial for doctors and healthcare providers to clearly communicate the risks, benefits, potential side effects, costs, and available support to patients and their families.”