Residents of rural Georgia might encounter challenges in obtaining medications that could hinder the advancement of Alzheimer’s disease, as indicated by a recent study conducted by the University of Georgia.
This is particularly alarming since rural regions bear a considerably heavier burden of the condition.
The investigators examined the presence of facilities that provided the IV drug lecanemab and the availability of PET scans, utilized for diagnosing Alzheimer’s, across all 159 counties in Georgia.
The research revealed that none of the rural counties in Georgia possessed a PET scan facility, and only a single county had an infusion center.
Individuals in rural regions of Georgia faced travel durations exceeding an hour to reach a facility capable of performing PET scans, with travel to lecanemab infusion centers sometimes extending beyond three hours.
Niying Li
“It’s challenging for individuals to locate a knowledgeable, qualified physician specializing in Alzheimer’s disease to secure a diagnosis,” noted Niying Li, the principal author of the study and an assistant professor at the UGA College of Pharmacy.
“Once you receive that diagnosis and are prepared to initiate the medication, it’s essential to be linked to an infusion center. Additionally, once you are referred to the center, a family caregiver must accompany you for infusions every two weeks, as you cannot drive yourself due to the possible side effects of the medication.”
For numerous rural Georgians, these obstacles make accessing care unfeasible.
Rural areas carry significant burden of Alzheimer’s disease, lack resources
More than 188,000 individuals in Georgia are living with Alzheimer’s disease, and hundreds of thousands additionally provide unpaid care for relatives experiencing this condition, as reported by the Alzheimer’s Association.
The researchers discovered that the majority of the state’s 28 lecanemab infusion centers are concentrated in the Atlanta metropolitan area, with only one situated in a rural county.
Among the six Memory Assessment Clinics that provide or refer for PET scans, none are found within rural counties.
Rural patients with Alzheimer’s disease … are devoid of support.” —Niying Li, College of Pharmacy
Individuals with early-stage Alzheimer’s disease may feel distressed when removed from their habitual routines. The lengthy journey to obtain care, combined with spending over an hour for an infusion and the return trip, poses not only an inconvenience for these patients and their caregivers.
It is often unfeasible, Li emphasized.
“I believe this study highlights that rural patients with Alzheimer’s disease are lacking essential resources,” Li remarked. “They are deprived of support.”
A new UGA study found that infusion centers for a drug that treats Alzheimer’s disease are clustered around Atlanta, leaving rural Georgians with long drive times to access care (left). Meanwhile, there are only six places in the state to access amyloid PET scans, which are needed to diagnose the disease. (Illustration by Lindsay Robinson)
Insufficient healthcare providers, medical knowledge another obstacle to care
However, it is not solely extended travel times that hinder Alzheimer’s patients from receiving care.
“We are also facing a shortage of medical professionals who can provide a diagnosis necessary for eligibility for the medication,” Li mentioned. “Moreover, there is a lack of healthcare experts well-versed in this drug’s application.”
Eighteen counties in Georgia are without a family medicine physician, predominantly in rural areas.
For residents in these regions, obtaining an Alzheimer’s diagnosis necessitates reliable transportation and someone capable of taking off work to assist in attending appointments.
Limited options to manage Alzheimer’s disease
While the medication does present some drawbacks — being extremely costly and requiring thorough follow-up imaging due to potentially serious adverse effects — lecanemab stands as one of the few advancements in Alzheimer’s disease management.
Historically, treatments for Alzheimer’s focused solely on alleviating symptoms. Over recent years, the Food and Drug Administration has sanctioned only three medications to postpone the disease’s progression, with one being withdrawn from the market last year.
The remaining two treatments hold promise to revolutionize care for early Alzheimer’s patients, according to the researchers. But only if patients can gain access to them.
Published in Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia, the Journal of the Alzheimer’s Association, the study was co-written by Samruddhi Borate and Mohammed Zuber of UGA’s College of Pharmacy, Darshan Chudasama of UGA’s College of Public Health, and Stephen Correia and Lisa Renzi-Hammond of UGA’s Institute of Gerontology. Additional co-authors include Kai Zhang and Yiran Han.
The article Rural Georgians lack access to Alzheimer’s disease treatment first appeared on UGA Today.