What difference could new Alzheimer’s disease drugs make?

Inside Health

BBC

Health & Fitness, Science

4.4 • 575 Ratings

🗓️ 8 August 2023

⏱️ 29 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Until recently, breakthroughs in treating Alzheimer’s 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 ‘new era’ for treating Alzheimer’s disease, how much of a difference could these drugs make for people living with the condition?

James Gallagher visits a Memory Café 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’s 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 “How hot is too hot for human health?” 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

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hello, you're about to listen to a BBC podcast, and I'm Ed Gamble, host of another BBC podcast,
0:05.4	The Traitors Uncloaked. But my show is available only on BBC Sounds, just like Ellis and John's
0:10.6	Saturday bonus episodes, the Pop Top Ten podcast with Scott Mills and Ryland, and comedy specials
0:16.2	from the likes of Harriet Kemsley, Susie Ruffel and Rommas Shranger Nathan. However, and maybe I'm biased, it's really all about the traitors uncloked.
0:24.3	So for a whole bunch of exclusive scoops and podcasts, listen only on BBC Sounds.
0:30.5	BBC Sounds, music, radio podcasts.
0:36.8	Hello there and welcome to the Inside Health podcast with me James Gallagher. I've come to
0:42.6	Doington, which is a gorgeous village nestled in the countryside in between Bath and Bristol.
0:48.6	And I'm here today because we're going to talk about Alzheimer's disease and the new drugs that
0:52.9	have been developed to treat this
0:55.0	form of dementia. So we're going to chat to scientists and doctors later in the program.
1:00.1	But first, I've come to the village hall because inside there's a memory cafe taking place
1:05.5	and we're going to meet people with dementia and the families that care for them.
1:12.4	I'm Mike. This is Wendy, my wife.
1:16.2	So we tend to come out here together.
1:22.5	Reason being is that I don't drive now that my wife does.
1:30.3	So she brings me out here. Can I ask that how's your memory?
1:32.3	Terrible.
1:33.3	Basically, because I've lived too long.
1:37.3	Wendy, what difference have you noticed in Mike's memory over time?
1:46.3	Oh, it's gradually getting much worse, yeah.
1:50.2	He'll go to do something.
	...

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