Published Monday, 22 September 2025 -Issue #2
Each week I share three dementia news stories that stood out. Not just science for science’s sake, but why it might matter to us as caregivers, families, and former caregivers navigating life with or after dementia.
3 Quick Bites: This Week in Dementia News
Antipsychotic Use in Dementia Often Exceeds Guidelines
The Pharmacist -17 Sept 2025 • Read it here
A UK study led by UCL reviewed primary care records for nearly 10,000 dementia patients aged 60‑85 over 23 years. It found many people are kept on antipsychotic drugs far longer than the 1‑3 months recommended. About half stayed on their first treatment for more than seven months. Almost a fifth started with doses higher than the minimum effective level.
Why it matters:
Long-term use of these drugs can raise the risk of falls, worsen memory loss, cause strokes, and even death. For caregivers it raises questions about whether medication reviews are happening regularly and whether non‑drug alternatives are being used.
Limitations to watch:
This is based on anonymised NHS prescribing data, not case-by-case medical decisions. Some use may still be appropriate, but the overall trend is concerning.
Reflection:
As a former caregiver I found this jarring. Medication can help, but this shows the importance of asking and checking: is this dose still necessary? Has behaviour changed? Could therapy, environment or support reduce reliance on pills?
Delays and Gaps in Dementia Diagnosis Revealed
Alzheimer’s Research UK -18 Sept 2025 Read it here
A new report by Alzheimer’s Research UK, Seeing the unseen: Rethinking dementia diagnosis, highlights how long and uncertain the road to a dementia diagnosis still is. Over 500 people affected by dementia and 160 NHS staff shared their experience. It found that delays, stigma, and lack of follow-up support are all standing in the way of getting timely help.
Why it matters:
“Sadly, one in five people (22%) were still waiting more than two years for a diagnosis after visiting their GP for help”. Even once they had answers, many didn’t get support. GPs often didn’t follow up, and caregivers were left without guidance. That puts added stress on families already doing everything they can.
Limitations to note:
This is a self-reported survey rather randomly selected. It highlights the system as experienced by real people, not a scientific trial. But the findings echo what many of us already know.
Reflection:
This story feels all too familiar. This isn’t just about science. It’s about recognising that delays have emotional and practical consequences for families.
A New Vaccine Approach for Alzheimer’s Prevention
Washington Post – 21 Sept 2025 Read it here
This round-up covers five major areas of Alzheimer’s progress in 2025, from diagnostic blood tests to the role of heart health. It’s well worth a read, but but here’s the one story I’d highlight.
Vaccines & Alzheimer’s: A Surprising Link from Wales
The study looked at over 280,000 people aged 71‑88 in Wales who didn’t have dementia at the start. Because of how the shingles vaccine rollout was done by birth‑year eligibility, some people were just old enough to get the vaccine, others just too old. This acted like a natural experiment. Over seven years, people who got the vaccine were about 20 percent less likely to develop dementia than those who didn’t.
Why it matters:
This study reduces some of the usual bias found in vaccine versus no‑vaccine comparisons because eligibility was determined by birth‑year thresholds. That means people who got the vaccine weren’t dramatically different in health behaviour, education, or other risk factors than those who didn’t. Women seem to benefit more in this study perhaps because of immune differences and because shingles is more common in women. If these results hold up, it suggests vaccines like shingles could be a relatively low effort, widely available tool to help reduce dementia risk in older adults.
Limitations to note:
This still isn’t proof of cause and effect. The vaccine used was the older live‑attenuated type, not the newer versions. It’s unclear whether results would be the same with stronger vaccine types. Also the study uses health record data, which can’t capture every factor (diet, lifestyle, medication adherence). Even though the design reduces some bias, it doesn’t eliminate all of it. And because the vaccine used was introduced in 2013, results apply to a certain age group and timeframe.
Reflection:
It might mean that something many people already do, get vaccinated, might also give extra protection for memory.
Why I Share These Stories
I know how hard it is to stay hopeful when research headlines feel far removed from daily life. That’s why I look for stories that show not just the science, but what it might mean, now or in the future for caregivers.
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This is your weekly dose of dementia research in plain English, written with caregivers in mind.
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Kat @dementiawho