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What drugs are currently
available
to treat AD?
What new treatments are
being
researched?
What are clinical trials?
What drugs
are currently available to treat AD?
No treatment can stop AD. However, for some people in the early and
middle stages of the disease, the drugs tacrine (Cognex), donepezil
(Aricept), rivastigmine (Exelon), or galantamine (Reminyl) may help
prevent some symptoms from becoming worse for a limited time. Also,
some medicines may help control behavioral symptoms of AD such as
sleeplessness, agitation, wandering, anxiety, and depression.
Treating these symptoms often makes patients more comfortable and
makes their care easier for caregivers.
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What
potential new treatments are being researched?
Developing new treatments for AD is an active area of research.
Scientists are testing a number of drugs to see if they prevent AD,
slow the disease, or help reduce behavioral symptoms.
Scientists are
testing two different types of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory
drugs (NSAIDs) to find out if they slow the disease. There is
evidence that inflammation in the brain may contribute to AD damage.
Scientists believe that anti-inflammatory drugs such as NSAIDs might
help slow the progression of AD. Rofecoxib (Vioxx) and naproxen
(Aleve) are two NSAIDs currently being studied.
Research has
shown that vitamin E slows the progress of some consequences
of AD by about 7 months. Scientists now are studying vitamin E to
learn whether it can prevent or delay AD in patients with mild
cognitive impairment (MCI). Recent research suggests that ginkgo
biloba, an extract made from the leaves of the ginkgo tree, may
be of some help in treating AD symptoms. There is no evidence that
ginkgo will cure or prevent AD. Scientists now are trying to find
out whether ginkgo biloba can delay or prevent dementia in older
people.
Research also
has been conducted to see if estrogen reduces the risk of AD
or slows the disease. One study showed that estrogen does not slow
the progression of already diagnosed disease. Furthermore, a study
on combination hormone therapy (estrogen and progestin) showed that
older women (over 65) participating in the study had twice the rate
of dementia, including Alzheimer's disease (AD), compared with women
who did not take the medication. For more information on the latest
findings on combined hormone therapy and dementia.
Researchers
are also studying substances already used to reduce cardiovascular
risk factors, such as statin drugs and folic acid, B6 and B12
vitamins, to determine whether they may also reduce AD risk.
People with AD
and those with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) who want to help
scientists test possible treatments may be able to take part in
clinical trials. Clinical trials are studies to find out whether a
new treatment is both safe and effective. For more information, go
to the AD
Clinical Trials Database.
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What are
Clinical Trials?
Clinical trials are studies to find out whether a new treatment is
both safe and effective. People with AD and those with MCI who want
to help scientists test possible treatments may be able to take part
in clinical trials. Healthy people also can help scientists learn
more about the brain and AD. The NIA and the Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) are working together to maintain the AD
Clinical Trials Database, which lists AD clinical trials
sponsored by the Federal government and private companies.
Many of these
studies are being done at NIA-supported Alzheimer's
Disease Centers located throughout the United States. These
centers carry out a wide range of research, including studies of the
causes, diagnosis, treatment, and management of AD.
The NIA also
supports the Alzheimer's
Disease Cooperative Study (ADCS), a consortium of researchers at
109 sites in the U.S. and Canada conducting large-scale clinical
trials of new approaches to treating and preventing AD. The ADCS is
based at the University of California, San Diego.
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Information
courtesy of Alzheimer's Disease Education & Referral Center
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