Simon Spichak

1 month ago | beingpatient.com | Simon Spichak

From long-awaited trial results to new drug developments, here are key updates from Alzheimer’s and dementia clinical research between January and April — including highlights from the AD/PD 2025 conference. This installment of our quarterly Trials Update captures the latest developments in Alzheimer’s and other dementia clinical trials, from January 2025 to present.

1 month ago | beingpatient.com | Simon Spichak

Fujirebio’s new blood test for Alzheimer’s biomarkers is the first to receive FDA approval, opening the door to Medicare coverage. Here’s what it can and can’t do. More than seven million Americans live with Alzheimer’s disease. For many of them, getting a diagnosis is difficult and expensive. Though covered by medicare, the current array of gold-standard diagnostics — like cerebrospinal fluid tests amyloid PET scans — are invasive and difficult for many Americans to access.

1 month ago | health.com | Simon Spichak |Julia Landwehr |Nick Blackmer

A new study found that taking certain probiotics could reduce negative feelings day-to-day. Probiotics can support gut health, which may help brain health by extension. However, experts say more research is needed before recommending probiotics for mood. Decades of evidence suggests that the trillions of microorganisms living in people’s guts, called the microbiome, can influence the brain. And now, new research says they might influence how people feel day-to-day, too.

1 month ago | beingpatient.com | Simon Spichak

A large-scale shingles vaccine rollout in Wales revealed an unexpected bonus: a 20-percent reduction in dementia risk over seven years. Common viral infections may make the brain more susceptible to dementia and other neurological diseases. For instance, the Epstein-Barr virus — which causes mononucleosis — increases the risk of developing multiple sclerosis, 32-fold.

1 month ago | businessandamerica.com | Simon Spichak

Walking at a speedy pace could keep your heart in a normal rhythm, a new study suggests. For the research, published April 15 in the journal Heart, scientists focused on how walking frequency, duration, and speed reduced the risk of developing heart rhythm abnormalities called arrhythmias, which can lead to a stroke and other adverse cardiac events.