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Levels of one neurotransmitter, acetylcholine, are particularly low in the brains of people with Alzheimer's disease.

While there is no cure, researchers say a newly approved drug, advanced testing, and increasing knowledge about the disease may improve patients' lives.

The FDA has granted full approval to Leqembi (lecanemab) for patients in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease. WashU Medicine will offer the drug to those eligible for it, in collaboration with BJC HealthCare.

Overall, know that Alzheimer's disease is a specific disease, while dementia is a general term for a group of similar diseases, of which Alzheimer's is one. In other words, every case of Alzheimer's disease is an example of dementia, but not every type of dementia is Alzheimer's.

For decades, researchers, hospice caregivers and stunned family members have watched with awe as people with Alzheimer's or other forms of dementia suddenly regain their memories and personalities just before death.

Folic acid reduces homocysteine levels - high homocysteine levels put you at risk for both heart disease and memory loss. Vitamin C has been shown to reduce your risk of Alzheimer's disease by 20% when taken with vitamin E.

One of vitamin D's jobs is to help the brain. Most of us get our vitamin D from the sun and from foods like fatty fish, cheese, and egg yolks. But it's also available over the counter as a supplement. There's a link between vitamin D and Alzheimer's.

One diet that shows some promising evidence is the Mediterranean diet, which emphasizes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, fish, and other seafood; unsaturated fats such as olive oils; and low amounts of red meat, eggs, and sweets.

The average life expectancy figures for the most common types of dementia are as follows: Alzheimer's disease – around eight to 10 years. Life expectancy is less if the person is diagnosed in their 80s or 90s. A few people with Alzheimer's live for longer, sometimes for 15 or even 20 years.

Two new drugs - Eisai's Leqembi and Eli Lilly's donanemab - are showing promising results of slowing Alzheimer's when the disease is in the early stages. Leqembi was approved by the FDA in January; donanemab is currently being considered for FDA approval.

Lecanemab was fully approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as a treatment for early Alzheimer's disease in July 2023. This means that it can now be given to patients with early Alzheimer's disease in the USA. The drug is being marketed under the name Leqembi.