{
  "id": 9296177,
  "title": "Cautious hope in long fight against Alzheimer’s",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/23/cautious-hope-in-long-fight-against-alzheimers",
  "topic": "health",
  "section": "Health & Medicine",
  "published": "2026-09-23T07:47:29.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Free Malaysia Today",
    "slug": "free-malaysia-today",
    "url": "https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/opinion/2026/09/23/cautious-hope-in-long-fight-against-alzheimer-s"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Last week, Roy Burnham, the father of British Prime Minister Andy Burnham, passed away at 86 due to Alzheimer’s disease. His advanced Alzheimer's made him unaware of his son's position as prime minister. Care home staff later showed him footage of his son entering 10 Downing Street. Andy Burnham described becoming prime minister without his father understanding as \"bittersweet.\" Alzheimer's slowly damages the brain, causing memory loss, difficulty in thinking, and eventual struggle in recognizing loved ones. Every three seconds, someone worldwide develops dementia, with two-thirds caused by Alzheimer's disease. Former US First Lady Nancy Reagan famously called Alzheimer's \"the long goodbye\" after her husband Ronald Reagan lived with the disease for years. Although there is no cure for Alzheimer's, scientists are making progress after decades of failed drug trials. Two proteins, beta-amyloid and tau, play a significant role in the disease. Beta-amyloid forms sticky plaques between brain cells, while tau, which normally aids in transport, can form tangled clumps in Alzheimer's. Newer drugs like Lecanemab and Donanemab target amyloid plaques, helping the body clear them from the brain. However, these drugs have limitations and work best when Alzheimer's is detected early, causing side effects in some patients. The next step involves researching tau, as both amyloid plaques and tau tangles contribute to the problem. Treating both simultaneously might yield better results, with drugs targeting tau currently being tested in clinical trials. The direction of Alzheimer's research is increasingly shifting towards comprehensive treatments. The World Alzheimer Report 2026 states there are now 158 drugs being tested in 192 Alzheimer's disease trials. However, a major obstacle is finding participants for these trials, requiring around 55,000 people, which may need as many as 350,000 volunteers. Clinical trials are crucial, as without volunteers, promising treatments cannot be properly tested. While scientists search for better treatments, individuals can reduce their risk of dementia by maintaining good hearing and eyesight, keeping mentally active, socializing, maintaining a healthy weight and blood pressure, eating a balanced diet, getting enough sleep, avoiding smoking and excessive alcohol, protecting from head injuries, and exercising regularly. For people over 60, brisk walking is recommended. The families of Alzheimer's patients find hope in the pursuit of effective treatments, as it would not only change patients' lives but also transform the lives of their families by making the \"long goodbye\" potentially shorter.",
  "summary": "New drugs and clinical trials may increase chances of slowing the disease.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Free Malaysia Today",
        "title": "Cautious hope in long fight against Alzheimer’s",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/23/cautious-hope-in-long-fight-against-alzheimers-9296207",
        "published": "2026-09-23T07:47:29.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}