Opinion: Primary care physicians should be at the heart of treating Alzheimer’s
When the results of President Biden’s annual physical were released last month, many wondered why his primary care physician hadn’t conducted a cognitive assessment. While this speculation is fueled by an ongoing, politicized debate about the mental fitness of both President Biden and former President Trump, it touches on an important issue that has largely gone overlooked: In navigating an Alzheimer’s disease crisis, what role should primary care providers play in cognitive testing?
Alzheimer’s is a neurodegenerative disease that currently has no cure and typically manifests with memory loss, mood and personality changes, and difficulty with language. Given Alzheimer’s history as a hopeless diagnosis, people living with the condition, their family members, and providers have recently welcomed the first drugs ever to treat the disease’s underlying brain pathology.
