DEAR ABBY: After decades of research, I’m thrilled with the recent major progress being made in treatments for people who already have symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease. I’m hoping that, one day, we will be able to prevent people from developing memory impairment and dementia.
Brain changes, including the buildup of a toxic protein into amyloid plaques, begin up to 20 years before a person notices any symptoms. This “asymptomatic” stage may be the perfect time to test treatments aiming to delay or prevent symptoms before they begin.
