Clinical Scorecard: HHS Announces New National Strategy to Address Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias

At a Glance

Key Highlights

• The 2026 Update replaces six earlier goals with four priorities: lifespan dementia risk reduction, discovery and innovation, high-value dementia care, and assistance for affected individuals and families.
• The plan emphasizes translating research into improved prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and care, including biomarker development and earlier detection.
• Family and caregiver supports include planning, safety, education, respite, in-home and community services, long-term supports, and caregiver resources.
• FDA launched an Alzheimer’s Prevention Accelerator; ARPA-H reported investments of up to $48.8 million in new initiatives and up to $155.3 million in total Alzheimer’s-related investments.
• HHS will assess progress toward each goal and report the National Plan’s impacts in the 2027 Update.

Guideline-Based Recommendations

Diagnosis

• National Plan priority: advance earlier detection, improved diagnosis, biomarker development, and examination of diagnostic delays.

Management

• National Plan priority: advance dementia care across detection, diagnosis, treatment, management, coordination, and transitions between care settings.
• National Plan priority: strengthen evidence-based assistance, including planning, safety, education, respite, in-home and community services, long-term supports, and caregiver resources.

Monitoring & Follow-up

• HHS will assess progress toward every National Plan goal and describe impacts in the 2027 Update.
• The update identifies measurement and data systems as dementia-related priorities.

Risks

• National Plan priority: promote lifespan dementia risk reduction by applying evidence that could delay onset or lower risk and advancing knowledge of contributing factors.
• The plan addresses populations and settings facing elevated or disproportionate risk.

Patient & Prescribing Data

People at risk for or living with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias, including people with mild cognitive impairment, and their families and caregivers.

The article describes federal priorities and initiatives, not individual prescribing guidance. It identifies prevention, treatment development, evaluation of a lifestyle intervention among beneficiaries with mild cognitive impairment, and improved access to care as areas of activity.

Clinical Best Practices

• National Plan priority: support evidence-based dementia risk reduction and healthy aging across the lifespan.
• National Plan priority: translate research and scientific advances into prevention, earlier detection, diagnosis, treatment, and care.
• National Plan priority: improve coordination and transitions across care settings throughout the dementia care journey.
• National Plan priority: provide evidence-based planning, safety, education, respite, community, long-term, and caregiver supports.

Related Resources & Content

• HHS National Plan and participating agency initiatives