Excerpt from Live Now, Age Later by Isadore Rosenfeld M.D., plus links to reviews, author biography & more

Treating Alzheimer's

The symptoms of Alzheimer's disease can remain mild for a long time, so that many of those afflicted can continue to function at home with relatively little care from others. However, as the disease progresses, most patients eventually require total care---feeding, dressing, and constant monitoring.

Although there is no specific treatment for Alzheimer's, every patient should be given a good multivitamin because his or her diet can be so unpredictable. I also recommend at least 120 milligrams of Ginkgo biloba daily. Ginkgo is an herb that is said to increase blood flow to the brain, heart, and extremities. Reports from Europe and Asia have attested to its effectiveness in improving memory in older people. The American medical literature on the efficacy of ginkgo has been sparse---until now. In 1997 doctors at the New York Institute for Medical Research reported in the Journal of the American Medical Association that an extract of ginkgo stabilized, and in some cases improved, the cognitive function and the social behavior of demented persons for six months to a year. This was not the anecdotal type of study criticized by scientifically trained doctors but a double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group multicenter trial.

Ginkgo has few if any side effects and is worth trying. But remember that it interacts with and enhances the effect of blood thinners such as aspirin or Coumadin, and that the dose of these two drugs may have to be reduced if you're also taking ginkgo.

Tacrine (Cognex) and donepezil (Aricept) are now specifically marketed for the treatment of Alzheimer's. They inhibit the enzyme (acetylcholinesterase) that breaks down acetylcholine in the brain. Both these agents can result in some temporary memory improvement. They're worth trying.

What to Remember about Alzheimer's

Alzheimer's is a distinct disease of unknown cause that ultimately leads to dementia. It is not an inevitable accompaniment of aging.


1. The diagnosis of Alzheimer's is one of exclusion. There is no test currently available to make the diagnosis during life. This can only be done with certainty by examining the brain after death.
   


2. Several genes associated with Alzheimer's have been identified. However, people who harbor them may never develop the disease, which may also strike those who don't have them.
   


3. Alzheimer's is frequently overdiagnosed and misdiagnosed in older people because there are many different diseases and disorders that can mimic its symptoms and cause dementia. Unlike Alzheimer's, some of these other conditions are preventable and curable. The diagnosis of Alzheimer's should never be made without a thorough and complete neurological examination.
   


4. Lifestyle changes, including a low-fat diet, education, and exercise, can lower the risk of Alzheimer's.
   


5. Several agents, including antioxidants, anti-inflammatory drugs, hormones, ginkgo, and vitamin E, may reduce the chances of developing Alzheimer's.
   


6. There are only a handful of drugs on the market for the treatment of the established form of the disease, none of which are very effective. Supportive care remains the basic treatment of Alzheimer's.

From Live Now Age Later: Proven Ways to Slow Down the Clock,by Isadore Rosenfeld. © June 1999, Isadore Rosenfeld. Used with permission.