Breakthrough in Alzheimer's treatment. Experts are alarming: the Polish system is not keeping up with medicine.

Breakthrough in Alzheimer's treatment. Experts warn: the Polish system is not keeping up with medicine - New drugs give patients a chance for longer independence. Who can benefit from them? - Many patients do not get to a specialist in time. Where does the system fail? - Experts propose a new care organization. What should change for patients? - You can find more articles on a similar topic in the "Health" section. Neurology can now treat strokes, multiple sclerosis, and epilepsy more effectively. Alzheimer's disease long remained an exception - available therapies have mostly allowed alleviating its symptoms. This is no longer the case. - This is a breakthrough because preparations that act on one of the mechanisms of disease development have been created - said Prof. Halina Sienkiewicz-Jarosz, chair of the National Council for Neurological Affairs and president of the Polish Neurological Society, during a Thursday conference on the release of the report "Alzheimer's Disease - State of Care and Development Directions". The document, prepared by the Institute of Health Management at Łazarski Academy in cooperation with clinical experts, shows how much must change for medical progress to translate into the situation of Polish patients. Not even 70 percent of patients get further diagnosis Memory disorders are still often explained by age, fatigue, or stress. In fact, they can be a sign of a disease whose biological process begins many years before symptoms appear. We wrote about the early signs in middle age in tvn24.pl. Poland remains a country of late diagnosis, neurologists emphasize. Patients often only see a specialist in an advanced stage of dementia when they have problems with daily functioning. According to unpublished data from the Health Data Center, which the authors of the report rely on, about 70 percent of people suspected of dementia do not get further diagnosis after a visit to primary healthcare (PHC). - If I had to point to one most important thing to do right now, it would be to create an efficient system and a short path from reporting the first symptoms to making an accurate diagnosis - emphasized Prof. Bartosz Karaszewski, national consultant in neurology. Diagnostic possibilities are rapidly developing. Blood tests, especially measuring the p-tau217 protein, can help detect biological changes characteristic of Alzheimer's. This is one of the biomarkers (measurable indicators of processes occurring in the body) that help determine the cause of cognitive disorders. - The role of neuropsychological diagnostics is also changing due to the availability of biomarkers - noted Prof. Agnieszka Gorzkowska from the Medical University of Silesia, chair of the Alzheimer's Section of the Polish Neurological Society. Biomarkers help determine the biological basis of the disease, and neuropsychologists use tests to assess memory, attention, and other cognitive functions. Both methods complement each other. However, access to modern research in Poland is still limited, among other things due to the funding rules of the National Health Fund (NFZ). PET (positron emission tomography) scans detecting amyloid deposits in the brain cost over 12 thousand zlotys, are not reimbursed, and are available mainly within clinical trials. New drugs for Alzheimer's. A chance for longer independence In 2025, the European Commission approved two new drugs for circulation - lecanemab and donanemab. These monoclonal antibodies are intended for appropriately qualified patients in the early, symptomatic phase of Alzheimer's disease. - Their action consists of removing beta-amyloid deposits, and in the case of lecanemab, also inhibiting the deposition of further ones. This allows to slow the progression of the disease, delaying the transition from mild cognitive impairment to dementia, and then to more advanced stages. This means a longer period of patient independence - explained Prof. Halina Sienkiewicz-Jarosz. According to the clinical studies described in the report, lecanemab slowed the worsening condition of patients by 31-33 percent compared to placebo over 18 months. In the case of donanemab, it was 25 percent in the entire studied population and 37 percent in people with low or moderate tau protein burden. These results should not be directly compared, as they come from separate studies. EU registration does not mean automatic reimbursement in Poland. Neurologists and patient organizations are appealing for access to new therapies. - Patients and caregivers waited 25 years for this breakthrough - said Dr Edyta Ekwińska, president of Alzheimer's Poland. She emphasized that the possibility of slowing the disease can change the approach to early diagnosis, which has often been associated with fear and stigmatization. Patient organizations also hope for the creation of specialized dementia clinics. Every fifth woman over 85 years old with an Alzheimer's diagnosis Alzheimer's disease and related diseases affect seniors, especially after the age of 75. According to NFZ data for 2025, in the group of people aged 85 and over, such a diagnosis is 20.5 percent for women and 12.6 percent for men. There are over 125 thousand such patients. The authors of the report emphasize that with the aging of society, the scale of the problem will grow - in 2050, almost one-third of the inhabitants of Poland will be at least 65 years old. Prevention becomes even more important. As Prof. Gorzkowska reminds, according to experts in "The Lancet", about 45 percent of dementia cases worldwide can be linked to 14 risk factors that we can influence - we wrote more about them here. Early diagnosis and prevention can also reduce the costs of care. In the years 2019-2025, the value of services for patients aged at least 55 with a main diagnosis of Alzheimer's or related diseases increased by 104 percent, from 215.6 to 439.6 million zlotys. - The costs of Alzheimer's disease extend far beyond the costs of treatment itself. They also include long-term care, social benefits, and the consequences of losing the ability to work - said Dr Katarzyna Sejbuk-Rozbicka from Łazarski Academy. Families bear a large part of the burden. Caring for a sick person means additional expenses, reduced working time, and sometimes resignation from employment. Meanwhile, as the disease progresses, the patient's needs grow, and their loved ones cannot always provide help. Three months to qualify for treatment. Experts propose changes That is why an efficient path from the first symptoms to diagnosis and treatment is so important. There is currently a lack of coordination between medical institutions and social assistance, and patients and their loved ones often have to search for further specialists themselves. Experts propose the creation of a Regional Network for Dementia Care, covering four levels of care: general practitioners, neurological clinics, specialized dementia clinics, and reference centers. Initial assessment of memory and other cognitive functions would take place in primary healthcare. Patients requiring in-depth diagnosis would go to specialists, and those eligible for modern therapies - to reference centers. The authors of the report advocate for a maximum of three months from the suspicion of the disease to the completion of qualification for amyloid therapy. Changes should also cover access to examinations and support for families, including psychological help, environmental services, and respite care. Poland has already adopted the National Program of Actions on Dementia for 2025-2030. Now, concrete organizational solutions and money are needed for their implementation. - New diagnostic possibilities and the emergence of causative therapies create a chance for earlier recognition of the disease and more effective support for patients in its early stage - emphasizes Dr. Małgorzata Gałązka-Sobotka, rector of Łazarski Academy. She noted that medical progress must translate into actual access for patients to diagnosis, treatment, and appropriate care.