Triple Your Impact This Holiday Season
Triple Your Impact This Holiday Season
Celebrate the holidays with a year-end gift that can go 3x as far to help provide care and support to the millions affected by Alzheimer's disease, and to advance critical research. But please hurry — this 3x Match Challenge ends soon.
Donate NowNew Alzheimer's discoveries unveiled at the 2025 Alzheimer's Association International Conference
The conference, held in Toronto, drew nearly 19,000 attendees from across the globe, including over 6,400 scientific submissions. These findings have important implications for individuals and families right here in Wisconsin, where more than 110,000 people are living with Alzheimer’s and over 205,000 family members are providing care and support.
“AAIC brings together the world’s leading experts as we all work towards the same goal, a future without Alzheimer’s and all other dementia,” said Dave Grams, Executive Director, Alzheimer’s Association Wisconsin Chapter. “The discoveries announced at AAIC 2025 are critical for our Wisconsin communities, offering new insights into the emerging science in areas such as treatment, risk reduction, early detection, and effective care. Every advance in research brings us another step closer to better support for families and caregivers facing this disease here in our state.”
Key Takeaways from AAIC 2025:
Lifestyle changes matter: In the U.S. POINTER clinical trial, two intensive lifestyle programs improved cognition in older adults at risk—reinforcing how increased physical activity, better nutrition, greater social engagement, and health monitoring can help maintain brain health. These results inspire new possibilities for combining lifestyle and medical interventions, and suggest practical steps for Wisconsinites who want to preserve cognitive function.
Blood biomarker guidelines released: The Alzheimer’s Association introduced the first evidence-based clinical practice guidelines for utilizing blood biomarker tests to assist in diagnosing Alzheimer’s. These recommendations will help Wisconsin’s dementia care specialists adopt emerging tools more confidently.
Managing chronic conditions may slow decline: Studies show that taking common medications, like those for high blood pressure, cholesterol, and diabetes, can help slow cognitive decline. With thousands of Wisconsinites living with these conditions, this research offers new avenues for collaborative care.
Lead exposure’s long-term impact: Research found that high childhood exposure to lead - even decades ago - can impact memory late in life. Reducing other dementia risk factors, especially for those who may have lived in areas with older housing or industrial exposure in Wisconsin, remains crucial.
Walking and lifestyle changes benefit those at high genetic risk: Data from international studies revealed that exercise, especially regular walking, provides the greatest cognitive benefit for people with a genetic risk for Alzheimer’s. Making healthy habits a routine can help protect brain health for Wisconsinites of all backgrounds.
New Alzheimer’s drugs prove effective in real-world use: Real-world experience with newly approved anti-amyloid drugs, lecanemab and donanemab, showed promising results. Wisconsin families can anticipate more effective treatment options as these therapies become integrated into local practice.
Nutrition programs like SNAP help slow cognitive decline: Data showed that participants in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP),including Wisconsin seniors, experienced slower cognitive decline over a decade. This highlights the importance of food security programs for maintaining cognitive health.
Women’s risk factors under the spotlight: New research explored how traumatic brain injuries and cancer treatments differently affect women, who represent nearly two-thirds of Americans living with Alzheimer’s. Ongoing studies aim to tailor prevention and care strategies for Wisconsin women.
For more information about the Alzheimer's Association Wisconsin Chapter and its ongoing initiatives, please visit alz.org/wi.
Alzheimer’s Association®
The Alzheimer’s Association is a worldwide voluntary health organization dedicated to Alzheimer’s care, support and research. Its mission is to lead the way to end Alzheimer’s and all other dementia by accelerating global research, driving risk reduction and early detection, and maximizing quality care and support. Visit alz.org or call 800.272.3900.
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