The Peter Attia Drive

Snapshot · The Peter Attia Drive

#399 ‒ The evolution of Alzheimer's disease and dementia care: how early detection, personalized treatment, new therapies, and a multimodal approach are changing the landscape | Gayatri Devi, M.D.

Explore episode Jul 13, 2026

Where this was said

Anti-amyloid therapies and slow titration

At 56:32 · chapter starts 51:45

The three FDA-approved anti-amyloid monoclonal antibodies — aducanumab (withdrawn), lecanemab, and donanemab — all clear amyloid plaques from the brain, but their clinical benefit on the 18-point CDR Sum of Boxes scale is only 0.3–0.4 points compared to placebo, a small but potentially meaningful effect that Gayatri Devi believes is larger when treatment is earlier. The most serious risk is ARIA — brain edema and hemorrhage caused by the antibodies disrupting amyloid-laden artery walls — which exceeds 40% in standard protocols for APOE4 homozygotes. Her ultra-slow titration protocol reduces ARIA to roughly 4% in published data from her practice. However, insurance companies refuse to reimburse off-protocol dosing for lecanemab, meaning patients who want the safer protocol must pay out of pocket — a systemic barrier she describes with visible frustration. Donanemab's approved titration schedule is more flexible, allowing her to implement slow escalation without insurance conflict.

Health & Fitness
Why Aducanumab Was Controversial — And Why She Prescribed It Anyway

#399 ‒ The evolution of Alzheimer's disease and dementia ca… · Jul 13, 2026 Health & Fitness

Aducanumab was approved in 2021 against its FDA advisory board's recommendation because clearing amyloid didn't translate to clear clinical benefit in the trials. Gayatri Devi prescribed it anyway, applying a simple personal test: would she want it herself if she had Alzheimer's? Her answer was yes.

Health & Fitness
Anti-Amyloid Therapies: Promise, Risk, and the Slow-Titration Protocol

#399 ‒ The evolution of Alzheimer's disease and dementia ca… · Jul 13, 2026 Health & Fitness

Anti-amyloid monoclonal antibodies like lecanemab and donanemab can clear amyloid from the brain, but carry a greater than 40% risk of ARIA in standard protocols for APOE4 carriers. Gayatri Devi developed an ultra-slow titration protocol that reduces this risk to approximately 4%, allowing even high-risk APOE4 homozygotes to access potentially life-changing therapy.

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