The dementia ‘tsunami’ is coming – but two potential medications offer hope

Sophie Scott

writer

Sophie Scott

Medical Reporter, ABC News

Brooke Wylie

writer

Brooke Wylie

Specialist Reporting Team, ABC News

As our population continues to age, the number of people with dementia is set to skyrocket, a situation that geriatric medicine researcher A/Prof Michael Woodward has likened to a ‘tsunami that’s sadly almost bearing down on us’.

Dementia already affects more than 400,000 Australians and is the second-biggest cause of death, but it’s predicted that this will grow to 589,000 by 2028 and more than one million by 2058.

The debilitating condition causes a decline in memory, cognition and day-to-day functioning, a distressing process both for sufferers and their loved ones.

Two new medications for dementia are currently being trialled, giving hope for more effective treatment. One is a monoclonal antibody gantenerumab, designed to remove the toxic protein amyloid from the brains of people with dementia. Although earlier trials have been disappointing, a higher dose is now being trialled in several thousand participants, including at Melbourne’s Austin Hospital.

PASSWORD RESET

Forgot your password or password not working? Please enter your email address. You will receive an email with the link to set a new password.

Icon 2

NEXT LIVE Webcast

:
Days
:
Hours
:
Minutes
Seconds
Dr Kate Walsh

Dr Kate Walsh

Endometriosis Cases – Practical Guide

Prof Finlay Macrae AO

Prof Finlay Macrae AO

Familial Colorectal Cancer

Prof Richard Harvey

Prof Richard Harvey

Recurrent Nasal Polyps Management – When to Refer

Prof Terence O'Brien

Prof Terence O'Brien

SUDEP – What is it and How to Reduce the Risk

Join us for the next free webcast for GPs and healthcare professionals

High quality lectures delivered by leading independent experts

Share this

Share this

Sophie Scott

writer

Sophie Scott

Medical Reporter, ABC News

Brooke Wylie

writer

Brooke Wylie

Specialist Reporting Team, ABC News

Test your knowledge

Recent articles

Latest GP poll

AHPRA's new CEO says he is committed to improving how complaints are handled. How likely is this to succeed?

Likely to succeed

0%

Unlikely to succeed

0%

Find your area of interest

Once you confirm you’ve read this article you can complete a Patient Case Review to earn 0.5 hours CPD in the Reviewing Performance (RP) category.

Select ‘Confirm & learn‘ when you have read this article in its entirety and you will be taken to begin your Patient Case Review.

We invite you to join the upcoming Healthed webcast where Prof Macrae speak on how GPs can suspect, assess and manage hereditary colorectal cancer risk.

Tuesday 2nd September, 7pm AEST