PH Consulate General in LA Hosts Seminar on Study of Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia

LOS ANGELES 06 February 2023 – A seminar on Alzheimer’s disease and an ongoing study to delay the onset of dementia was held by reps of the Philippine Nurses’ Association of Southern California (PNASC) and the University of California Irvine’s Institute for Memory Impairments and Neurological Disorders (UCI Mind Institute) on 27 January 2023 at the Philippine at the Consulate General’s Community Hall.

In his welcome remarks, Philippine Consul General to Los Angeles Edgar B. Badajos thanked PNASC for facilitating this activity aimed at educating the community about a disease that affects so many families.

The seminar provided information on Alzheimer’s disease and updates about current research in dementia, particularly a clinical study called the AHEAD study. The AHEAD study is aimed at delaying memory decline in people up to 20 years before the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease appear using lecanemab, a monoclonal antibody treatment that recently received approval for medical use in the United States. The Food and Drug Administration granted accelerated approval for lecanemab after studies showed it can moderately slow cognitive and functional decline in early-stage cases of the disease.

PNASC and UCI Mind Institute sought the Consulate General’s help in spreading awareness on dementia and about the clinical study being undertaken to prevent the disease among the Filipino-American community. Participants must be at least 55 years old and are expected to participate with a study partner for three years. They will be compensated, and their health monitored for the duration of the study, including addressing any adverse effects that may occur as a result of taking the treatment.

More information about the AHEAD study may be found on UCI Mind Institute’s website: https://mind.uci.edu/research-studies/participate/ END

For more information, visit https://www.philippineconsulatela.org or https://www.facebook.com/PHLinLA/.