Understanding Alzheimer’s: Early Detection, Symptoms, and Treatment Advances

Alzheimer’s disease is the leading cause of dementia worldwide, responsible for up to 80% of cases. It progressively impairs memory, decision-making, and activities of daily living. In the U.S. alone, more than 7+ million people are currently living with Alzheimer’s—a number projected to double in the coming decades due to population aging.¹ The condition not only affects those diagnosed but also places an emotional and financial burden on families and caregivers. Fortunately, increased awareness, early detection tools, and recent treatment advances are reshaping the landscape of Alzheimer’s care. Most notably, in May 2025, the FDA approved the first blood-based test to help identify Alzheimer’s-related pathology. This non-invasive test marks a turning point for early diagnosis, joining other recent advancements in imaging, genetic insights, and treatment options that offer new hope to patients and families.

At Private Health Management (PHM), our researchers and clinicians stay at the forefront of these advances, guiding patients and families in selecting the treatments, diagnostics, and lifestyle strategies that will best support brain health and long-term outcomes.

Recognizing the Symptoms
Alzheimer’s disease typically begins with subtle changes in adults, most often appearing around the age of 65. Early warning signs may include:

• Frequent forgetfulness, especially of recent events
• Difficulty finding words or following conversations
• Getting lost in familiar areas
• Trouble with routine tasks like managing bills or planning meals

As the disease progresses, symptoms become more severe. People may become confused, exhibit mood swings or personality changes, misplace items, or make poor decisions. These signs may be mistaken for normal aging, which is why early medical evaluation is so important. Timely diagnosis opens the door to meaningful care planning, access to new treatments, and better long-term outcomes.

The Importance of Early Detection
Early diagnosis is crucial. It allows families to plan for the future, access clinical trials, and benefit from emerging therapies before significant cognitive decline occurs. Today, clinicians have advanced tools to detect Alzheimer’s before severe symptoms appear:

• PET scans and MRI imaging can reveal hallmark brain changes.
• Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis measures amyloid beta and tau protein levels.
• Blood-based biomarkers, a major leap forward, now offer less invasive and more accessible diagnostic options.

In May 2025, the FDA approved the Lumipulse® G pTau 217/β-Amyloid 1-42 Plasma Ratio test, the first FDA cleared blood-based test in the U.S. to help identify patients with amyloid pathology associated with Alzheimer’s Disease.² This test measures specific proteins in the blood—phosphorylated tau 217 and beta-amyloid 1-42—and calculates their ratio. An abnormal ratio suggests the presence of Alzheimer’s pathology³ and provides clinicians with objective support for diagnosis in patients with cognitive symptoms. This represents a major leap forward: a non-invasive, accessible test that can support diagnosis without the need for invasive spinal fluid collection or costly brain imaging.

Genetic testing can also inform risk—particularly for those carrying the APOE4 gene variant. However, because genetic predisposition doesn’t guarantee disease development, routine testing isn’t broadly recommended outside of specialized contexts.

Treatment Advances
While there is no cure for Alzheimer’s yet, several breakthrough treatments are changing the outlook for patients diagnosed in the early stages:

• Lecanemab (Leqembi®), approved by the FDA in 2023, is a monoclonal antibody therapy that targets and clears amyloid plaques in the brain. Clinical trials have shown it can modestly slow cognitive decline in people with early-stage disease.⁴
• Patients receiving lecanemab require confirmatory biomarker testing and ongoing MRI monitoring due to potential side effects such as brain swelling or small bleeds.
• Other therapies in development are targeting tau proteins, neuroinflammation, and synaptic dysfunction—broadening the range of disease-modifying strategies on the horizon.

Though these treatments do not reverse Alzheimer’s, they represent the first meaningful progress toward slowing disease progression and preserving quality of life longer.

Supporting Brain Health
Medications are only part of the equation. A proactive, brain-healthy lifestyle plays a critical role in reducing Alzheimer’s risk and promoting cognitive resilience⁵:

• Exercise: Regular physical activity improves blood flow to the brain and may reduce amyloid buildup.
• Nutrition: Diets rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, fish, and healthy fats—such as the Mediterranean or MIND diets—support brain health.
• Cognitive and social engagement: Staying mentally active and connected can strengthen neural networks.
• Chronic disease management: Conditions like diabetes, hypertension, and sleep apnea are linked to increased dementia risk and should be well-controlled.

The phrase “what’s good for the heart is good for the brain” holds true: maintaining cardiovascular health is key to preserving cognitive function.

Alzheimer’s disease is a serious and growing health concern—but science is making progress. Early symptom recognition, advanced diagnostic tools and blood-based biomarker tests, and disease-modifying treatments like lecanemab offer new hope to patients and families.

References

1. Alzheimer’s Association. Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Figures https://www.alz.org/alzheimers-dementia/facts-figures
2. U.S. FDA. FDA Approves Lumipulse® G pTau 217/β-Amyloid 1-42 Plasma Ratio Test (May 2025) https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/fda-clears-first-blood-test-used-diagnosing-alzheimers-disease
3. Catania, Marcella, et al. “Exploring the ability of plasma pTau217, pTau181 and beta-amyloid in mirroring cerebrospinal fluid biomarker profile of Mild Cognitive Impairment by the fully automated Lumipulse® platform.” Fluids and Barriers of the CNS 22.1 (2025): 9.
4. Van Dyck, Christopher H., et al. “Lecanemab in early Alzheimer’s disease.” New England Journal of Medicine 388.1 (2023): 9-21.
5. Livingston, Gill, et al. “Dementia prevention, intervention, and care: 2020 report of the Lancet Commission.” The lancet 396.10248 (2020): 413-446.