The Alzheimer’s Association has named June Alzheimer’s and Brain Awareness month to bring attention to Alzheimer’s and other brain diseases as a public health concern. We all have the potential to be impacted by Alzheimer’s and other brain diseases. With no new therapies approved to treat Alzheimer’s since 2003, raising awareness is
certainly a top priority.
As a media buyer, you need innovative ways to connect neurology healthcare providers with the latest educational materials on emerging therapies. Of course, that is something that HealthLink Dimensions, a leading healthcare provider data and communications company, does every day for life sciences companies and the creative agencies who serve them. In the spirit of ALZ Brain Awareness Month, let’s reflect on the impact ALZ and other brain-related illnesses have on us as individuals and as a global health community.
Impact of Alzheimer’s and Brain-Related Illnesses
According to the Alzheimer’s Association, there are an estimated 47 million people around the world living with Alzheimer’s and brain-related illnesses. If this trajectory doesn’t change, that number is expected to escalate to 76 million by 2030.
Alzheimer’s is a terminal illness that needs to be taken seriously. Over time, it kills the brain’s tissue and nerve cells. This causes the affected individual to have trouble thinking, planning, and remembering. The impacted individual eventually becomes unable to communicate with or recognize their friends or family members, even those they have known their entire lives. They are unable to care for themselves and need constant care at later stages of the disease.
Alzheimer’s and brain-related illnesses affect more than just the individual. Their family members and loved ones are forced to become caregivers. Over time, they have to watch as someone they love slowly loses every memory they have, along with their independence.
Recent Efforts to Slow Down Alzheimer’s and Brain-Related Illnesses
Currently, there is no cure for Alzheimer’s. However, as the National Institute of Health explains, some prescription treatments can help slow the spread of the disease and help affected individuals maintain their memories for longer. Cholinesterase inhibitors are thought to prevent the breakdown of acetylcholine in the brain, which is essential for thinking and memory. Medications such as Aricept® (donepezil), Razadyne® (galantamine), and Exelon® (rivastigmine) are often prescribed for patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer’s to reduce symptoms and improve control over some behavioral symptoms.
For moderate to severe Alzheimer’s, doctors may prescribe the drug Namenda® (memantine) to regulate the brain chemical glutamate, which can cause cell death when it is over-produced. The drug can decrease symptoms and help patients maintain some of their daily functions for longer.
Beyond helping media buyers target and reach neurologists using email, programmatic, and mobile communications, Healthlink Dimensions also allows patients and caregivers to access the resources they need to manage their condition.
We are proud to be the managed data services provider for the Alzheimer’s Association directory resources. As a partner, we help the Alzheimer’s Association develop deeper connections with constituents, caregivers, and providers. Healthlink Dimensions delivers the data and platform the Alzheimer’s Association uses to connect its constituents with valuable resources.
Keep Your Providers Up to Date about ALZ and Brain Awareness Month
Alzheimer’s and brain-related illnesses are devastating for everyone involved. With new research and drugs coming to the market, providers may be able to offer solutions that can help slow the spread and potentially prevent these diseases in the first place.
Keep your target providers up to date on the latest developments in Alzheimer’s and brain disease research in June and throughout the year with Healthlink Dimensions and our programmatic partnership with LiveRamp.
Browse our data segments in LiveRamp to see how we can help you connect with neurology providers. Contact us today to learn more.