Alzheimer's Advances

BACKGROUND: Alzheimer's disease affects about 4.5 million Americans. Without aggressive treatment and improvement in treatment, researchers say there will be as many as 13 million people or more in the United States living with the disease by mid-century. Alzheimer's disease is one of several disorders that cause the gradual loss of brain cells. German physician Alois Alzheimer first described the disease in 1906. In a Gallup poll commissioned by the Alzheimer's Association, 1 in 10 Americans said that they had a family member with Alzheimer's and one in three knew someone with the disease.

The area of the brain that controls memory and thinking skills is affected first, but as the disease progresses, cells die in other regions of the brain. If the patient has no other serious illness, the loss of brain function itself will cause death. No one knows yet exactly what causes Alzheimer's disease. Researchers are learning about what happens to the brain as we grow older, what happens to brain cells in Alzheimer's disease, genes associated with Alzheimer's, and many other factors that may be important. Most researchers agree that the cause may be a complex set of factors.

TREATMENT: There's no cure yet, but there are several drug treatments that may improve or stabilize symptoms. Researchers continue to look for new treatments to alter the course of the disease and other strategies to improve the quality of life for people with dementia. According to the Alzheimer's Association, finding a treatment that could delay onset by five years could reduce the number of individuals with Alzheimer's disease by nearly 50 percent after 50 years. Last year's Food and Drug Administration approval of the drug memantine was a significant step. Dr. Ernestine Wright, from Mercy Medical Center in Baltimore, said, "This is the first time that we've had a medication that can really be used in the later stages of the disease." It works by blocking the overproduction of the chemical glutamate. Excess levels of this brain chemical can prevent new thoughts from processing.

ONGOING RESEARCH: There are many studies being conducted across the country on delaying, preventing and treating Alzheimer's disease. Here are just a few:

One study is targeting homocysteine, which is a damaging protein in the brain. Researchers are using a combination of vitamins B6, B12 and folic acid to reduce the protein.

Another study is looking at valproic acid (Valproate) to relieve the agitation, behavioral problems and depression that often come with the disease.

High doses of vitamin E are being looked at delay the progression of the disease.

Statins, or cholesterol-lowering drugs, are also being studied to determine their effect on delaying the progression of Alzheimer's.

TO FIND TRIALS: One place to find clinical trials on Alzheimer's disease is www.clinicaltrials.gov. Just search "Alzheimer's disease," and you'll find trials across the country. Also, visit your local research hospital -- a teaching hospital, such as a university, is sure to have clinical trials taking place.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
Dan Collins
Mercy Medical Center
dcollins@mdmercy.com
Joanne Lord, Clinical Research Coordinator
University of Michigan
jllord@umich.edu

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