Happy & Healthy with Amy

Leqembi or Kisunla? 8 Questions Before You Decide

• Amy Lang • Season 2 • Episode 56

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0:00 | 33:58

Your mom or dad has been diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment or early Alzheimer’s, and the neurologist says Leqembi or Kisunla may be an option.

Now comes the harder question:

Just because they qualify, does that mean treatment is actually worth it?

There are a few pieces of information that can meaningfully change that answer. Some are obvious. Others are easy to misunderstand. And one commonly discussed Alzheimer’s biomarker may not tell you nearly as much about treatment benefit as you might assume.

In this final episode of my three-part series, I’ll show you how to put benefit, risk, treatment burden, and your parent’s priorities into the same decision.

And I’ll give you one question to ask the neurologist that may reveal more than almost anything else you ask during the appointment.

What to Listen For

  • [00:00] Why being eligible for Leqembi or Kisunla is only the beginning of the decision
  • [02:15] The first thing that needs to be established before treatment is even considered
  • [07:00] The Alzheimer’s biomarker that sounds more predictive than it actually is 
  • [09:15] Why a small-looking trial result may—or may not—matter more over time
  • [11:34] The five factors that can shift ARIA risk higher or lower
  • [16:15] Why ARIA risk factors can guide the conversation without predicting exactly what will happen
  • [21:21] The practical differences between Leqembi and Kisunla that may matter to your family
  • [23:15] Why comparing their headline trial percentages can lead you to the wrong conclusion
  • [24:25] The medical question versus the personal question
  • [29:00] The one neurologist question that may reveal more than almost anything else you ask

Listen to the full episode, download the free decision-making checklist, and bring it to your next neurology appointment so you can ask better questions and participate more confidently in the conversation.

And if this three-part series has helped your family, please subscribe to Happy and Healthy with Amy and share it with the brother, sister, spouse, or friend who is navigating this decision with you.

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