What is the difference between Alzheimer’s and dementia?

New drug proven to slow onset of degenerative brain disease as scientists hail ‘breakthrough’

Alzheimer’s is the most common cause of dementia and the leading cause of death in the UK (AFP/Getty)

Scientists are hailing what they believe to be a historic breakthrough in the fightback against the degenerative brain disease Alzheimer’s, after an antibody therapy known as lecanamab proved to slow the onset of the condition during clinical trials.

The development follows decades of failed attempts to find a way to halt its progress and has inspired hope among experts that it could eventually pave the way for treatments that might ultimately lead to a cure.

Lecanamab, delivered fortnightly by intravenous drip, works to remove a toxic protein known as amyloid that builds up in the brains of those with Alzheimer’s and which damages cells. This protein leads to memory loss and communication issues associated with dementia.

The eagerly-awaited findings of the trial, involving nearly 1,800 people aged between 50 and 90, who had been diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s, were first published in The New England Journal of Medicine and revealed that the drug slowed memory decline by 27 per cent in participants over an 18-month period.

For those unsure of the distinction, Alzheimer’s is a disease that causes damage to the nerve cells that transmit vital messages from the brain. Dementia does not refer to a specific ailment but is instead used as a term to summarise a collection of symptoms that occur as a result of the actions of such cognitive diseases.

Dementia is particularly common among the elderly, with one in 14 people aged over 65 experiencing the condition and one in six aged over 80. Women are statistically more likely to suffer from the disease than men.

Alzheimer’s is the most common cause of dementia and the leading cause of death in the UK, costing the British economy an estimated £25bn a year - a figure that is forecast to double by 2050.

According to the NHS, the precise cause of Alzheimer’s is not yet known but a number of factors are thought to encourage its development, including advancing age, family history of the disease, depression going untreated and lifestyle factors associated with cardiovascular disease.

Avoiding smoking and drinking, maintaining a balanced diet and staying physically fit are all recommended measures to reduce the risk of contracting the condition.

The first indicator of Alzheimer’s is usually minor memory problems, the health service warns, with the following symptoms emerging as the condition worsens:

• Confusion, disorientation and getting lost in familiar places
• Difficulty planning or making decisions
• Problems with speech and language
• Problems moving without assistance or performing self-care tasks
• Personality changes, such as becoming aggressive, demanding and suspicious of others
• Hallucinations (seeing or hearing things that are not there) and delusions (believing things that are patently untrue)
• Low mood or anxiety

There is currently no cure for Alzheimer’s but medicines are available to relieve some of the symptoms and the news about lecanamab is certainly a highly positive development for sufferers.

The above symptoms taken together could be characterised as evidence of dementia, although because they are also associated with natural decline as a result of the encroachments of old age, that condition can prove difficult to diagnose.

One study released in May this year revealed that as many as one in four dementia sufferers go at least two years before their condition is finally diagnosed.

You can find more information on the Alzheimer’s Society and NHS websites.