Albany Med provides support for Alzheimer’s

ALBANY – According to Maria Kataki, MD, PhD, director of Albany Medical Center’s Alzheimer’s Center, women provide the majority of informal care to parents and in-laws.

While spending more time with their aging relations, she said they may also be more likely to pick up on changes not only in physical health, but also behavior and demeanor.

As people get older, they often experience normal changes in their mental abilities— forgetfulness, misplacing items, or struggling with new technologies—all typical during the aging process. However, more serious changes may be signs of cognitive deterioration.

“If you notice more incidents of memory loss, a decline in functioning, or significant behavioral changes, you should request an evaluation with your primary care physician,” said Dr. Kataki. “The doctor can help determine if the issues of concern are age-related or more serious and can refer your loved one to a cognitive specialist.”

Capital Region residents are fortunate that the Alzheimer’s Centers at Albany Medical Center and Glens Falls Hospital are both New York State-designated Centers of Excellence for Alzheimer’s Disease—part of a medical network recognized nationally as experts in the diagnosis and care of those living with Alzheimer’s or other dementias. As such, both serve as comprehensive resources for the health care community—they provide diagnostic and consultative services to primary care physicians and care for patients.

“Through a combination of medical assessment and management, along with education for physicians, advanced practice professionals, and the public, our System Centers offer expertise that complements the state’s mission to build capacity for diagnosing and treating Alzheimer’s,” said Heather O’Connor, administrative director of the program at Glens Falls Hospital.

Albany Medical Center recently became the first hospital in the region to offer a therapy that has been shown to delay the progression of Alzheimer’s disease.

Lecanemab was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration after it was shown to delay cognitive and functional decline by approximately five months in an 18-month double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.

“This is a new era of disease-modifying treatments for Alzheimer’s disease, altering the biology of the disease,” said Dr. Kataki. “We are thrilled to revolutionize the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease in our region and to offer new hope to our patients and their families.”

The post Albany Med provides support for Alzheimer’s first appeared on Spotlight News .