Keenan: The latest Alzheimer’s wonder drug and how to avoid needing it

Hope is on the horizon for some people with dementia. According to Statista, “In 2020, it was estimated that around 9.7 per cent of women and 6.9 per cent of men in Canada aged 65 years and older were living with dementia. By the year 2050, these figures are expected to increase to around 15.3 per cent for women and 10.6 per cent for men.” Longer life expectancy is a reason for the predicted increase, though “other risk factors include a family history of dementia, high blood pressure, smoking tobacco, excessive alcohol use, a lack of physical exercise, obesity, and diabetes.” Article content

Health Canada recently approved lecanemab (brand name Leqembi®) to treat people with mild cognitive impairment or mild dementia due to Alzheimer’s disease. This is the first approved drug that is sh