November is Alzheimer’s Awareness Month. Alzheimer’s disease is a type of dementia that damages the brain. It gradually robs one of memory, thinking, and behavior. More than six million Americans are living with it, and 150,000 of them are in our Commonwealth.
Alzheimer’s was first diagnosed well over a century ago, yet still, we have no cure for it.
Jen Lewis sat down with a leading local researcher working to find a way to begin to halt its progression. The groundbreaking research is underway right now at Eastern Virginia Medical School in Norfolk. It’s called the AHEAD 3-45 study.
Dr. Hamid Okhravi, the Director of the Neurohealth Institute at EVMS, explains, “In this study, we use the same medication that got FDA approval in July and that medicine shows that it can slow down memory loss by up to 30% in patients who have dementia.”
Researchers are now hoping to turn back the clock because Alzheimer’s can begin up to 20 years before a person notices any symptoms. Finding a treatment that targets memory loss early could lead to a future without Alzheimer’s.
Dr. Okharvi goes on to say, “With other diseases like high blood pressure, diabetes, HIV, and cancer, we don’t wait until symptoms appear, our practice is to prevent. That should really be our practice in Alzheimer’s and right now that is the thought process in the field.”
PET imaging is used to test amyloid plaque levels in the brain. The goal is to target initial changes to prevent progression, as increasing amyloid is an indicator of dementia and Alzheimer’s. The AHEAD 3-45 study is underway at 100 sites across the country, including EVMS.
For this study, people between the ages of 55 and 80 are eligible. The participants include those who have not been diagnosed with dementia or Alzheimer’s but may be concerned that later in the future they may develop Alzheimer’s Disease for any reason, such as family history.
The AHEAD 3-45 study began in August of 2020. It is expected to close in eight to nine years. At that point, researchers hope to have an answer as to whether medication, like Leqembi, can prevent Alzheimer’s. More, participants, however, are still needed for this project.
Dr. Okharvi continues to recruit and says, “We really need people from every walk of life to participate in clinical trials in general and the AHEAD study is not an exception. Alzheimer’s is much more common in African Americans and Hispanics, yet they are underrepresented in clinical trials.”
Carol Turner, a Portsmouth resident, was the very first African American to take part in the AHEAD study in the nation. Ms. Turner has been in this clinical trial for two years. She also serves on the AHEAD study National Advisory Board and works diligently to inform the public about dementia and Alzheimer’s.
Ms. Turner shares, “We have community service workers who go out and canvass different African American churches, because African Americans are the lowest percentage and as far as the data is concerned in this AHEAD study and what we’re doing is trying to educate and try to let them know what we have they could basically take advantage of, especially if they are having any kind of memory problems or even have it in their family as I do.”
Ms. Turner and Dr. Okhravi join forces with other dedicated volunteers to take part in what’s referred to as Purple Sunday. They visit two to three churches a month all over Hampton Roads to try to ensure no one falls through the cracks of this devastating disease. The Alzheimer’s Association knows it disproportionately impacts African Americans and Hispanics and is working to ensure all are included.
Katie McDonough is the Community Executive Director for the Alzheimer’s Association and explains, “Particularly with the AHEAD 3-45 study, the Alzheimer’s Association has committed 4 million dollars in funding specifically to reach underrepresented communities. So that trickles down into local communities like Hampton Roads and the partners we have here to do the work that we’re doing to reach these folks.”
The Association, Eastern Virginia Medical School, Hampton University, and Norfolk State University have developed a consortium of sorts to help devise strategies to form partnerships with community and faith-based organizations and to recruit volunteers. The vision is that all people can one day be cured of Alzheimer’s, but in the process, it can become a disease that can be lived with and managed.
Katie continues, “We really are standing on the shoulders of giants who have come in the decades before us. We have come so far, it’s so exciting to be a part of this movement, and that’s truly what this is, a movement, but we have a lot more work to do.”
The AHEAD 3-45 is a first-of-its-kind study and participants link arms with world-renowned researchers helping scientists learn more about Alzheimer’s and how to prevent it. This work is paramount because once symptoms arise, they are, at this point, irreversible.
To find out more about clinical trials and to learn if you’re eligible to take part, click here.
Research like this, along with resources and support is most often funded through donations. This Saturday morning, Nov. 18, is your chance to help. Join the News 3 Team for the Walk to End Alzheimer’s at Chesapeake City Park. You can sign up here.
