Five Reasons to Feel Hopeful About Dementia in 2025
If someone you love has been affected by Alzheimer’s or dementia, you know how helpless it can feel. But 2025 has brought genuine breakthroughs—from simple blood tests to medications that actually slow the disease. Here are five reasons to feel more hopeful about the future of dementia care.
- We now can test for Alzheimer’s disease with a simple blood test.
Testing for Alzheimer’s used to mean expensive brain scans or painful spinal taps. Those days are ending. In May 2025, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the first blood test to help diagnose Alzheimer’s disease. By October, a second test got the green light.
These tests work by detecting proteins in blood that signal Alzheimer’s is developing in the brain. They’re more than 90% accurate when used correctly and could reduce the need for expensive brain scans. Soon, testing for Alzheimer’s could be as routine as checking your cholesterol.
- Doctors have clear guidelines on how to use these tests.
Having new tests is great, but doctors need to know when and how to use them. In July, the Alzheimer’s Association released its first-ever guidebook for doctors on using these blood tests in specialty clinics. These guidelines help ensure that no matter where you live or which doctor you see, you’ll get the same high-quality care. They help doctors understand which tests to trust and when a blood test can replace more invasive procedures.
- Science showed that lifestyle changes can really work.
The United States’ POINTER study followed more than 2,000 older adults at increased risk of cognitive decline for two years. Researchers found that structured lifestyle changes significantly protected thinking and memory skills. Participants who followed a program of regular exercise, healthy eating, brain-challenging activities, and social engagement performed better on cognitive tests—benefits equal to turning back the clock on brain aging by one to two years. This is exciting because those are steps that anyone can take, no matter their age or susceptibility to the disease.
- New medications are slowing the progress of the disease.
For the first time ever, we have medications that don’t just treat symptoms—they actually slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease. Two drugs called lecanemab (brand name Leqembi) and donanemab (Kisunla) continued showing real benefits throughout 2025.
- We’re learning more about how dementia affects women.
Two-thirds of Americans living with Alzheimer’s are women. Why? In 2025, researchers made important discoveries about gender differences in dementia risk.
They found that traumatic brain injuries—from car accidents, falls, or sports—are more likely to cause brain shrinkage in memory-related areas in women than in men. And for the first time, scientists showed that “brain fog” related to chemotherapy is connected to real brain changes, inflammation, and shrinkage.
These findings could lead to new ways to protect women’s brain health, whether it’s better safety equipment, different chemotherapy approaches, or targeted prevention strategies.
What does all this mean for people with dementia and their families?
These are all exciting advancements. But let’s be honest: We still don’t have a cure. The current medications only slow things down and only work in early stages of the disease. Many promising treatments will ultimately fail. Dementia is complicated, with many causes, and no single solution will fix everything.
We absolutely need more research. We need longer studies to see if early treatment can truly prevent dementia. We need to make sure new tests and treatments reach everyone, not just people in major medical centers. We need to better understand why women face higher risk and how to protect brain health throughout life. And we need continued funding to move treatments from the lab to the doctor’s office.
But here’s what families should take away from 2025: There are concrete reasons to feel hopeful. The tools we’re building today could transform how we deal with dementia tomorrow. Someday we may finally be able to catch it early, treat it effectively, and in some cases, prevent it altogether.
This article is not intended to replace the advice of your healthcare provider. If you or someone you love is facing cognitive changes, talk to your doctor.
