Experts claim, that in contrast to traditional therapies, where
the disease is treated against its devastating symptoms, certain alternative
treatments for Alzheimer’s have shown to lower the risk of the disease and even
reverse its symptoms. While the exact disease development mechanism is not
completely clear to the scientists, there are numerous studies, producing valid
data on the particular medical conditions as being risk factors or triggers for
the dementia advance process. Addressing proactively such medical conditions
might help to decrease or completely eliminate certain triggers, improving the
chances that Alzheimer’s will not start, or its symptoms appearance and impact will
be substantially delayed and eased.
Although some of the recent breakthroughs were accidental,
each of the drugs listed below shows promises in making Alzheimer’s a disease
of the past.
1. Blood pressure medicines
High blood pressure is typically treated with life style
changes and medications. These medicines include ACE inhibitors, angiotensin
receptor blockers (ARBs) and diuretics. Each of these medicines impacts the
cardiovascular system in such a way as to lower blood pressure.
A recent study at Johns Hopkins University demonstrated how
patients who took certain blood pressure medicines lowered their risk of
Alzheimer’s disease by 50 percent. Researchers haven’t yet been able to
determine exactly why certain blood pressure medicines affect cognitive
function the way they do. But their findings warrant further studies.
2. Diabetes
treatments
Scientists at Lancaster University examined the diabetes
drug Victoza as a potential Alzheimer’s therapy. Victoza falls into a class of
drugs designed to stimulate natural insulin production for diabetics. But
researchers believed it could also prevent the buildup of beta-amyloids on
brain cells.
They injected Victoza into mice suffering from late-stage
Alzheimer’s. After two months, the drug had reduced beta-amyloid plaques on the
brain by 30 percent. And it actually protected brain cells from damage. These
results have led to clinical trials to determine if the drug has the same
effect on humans.
3. Rheumatoid arthritis
drugs
Physicians generally prescribe anti-inflammatory drugs
(NSAIDs) or disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) to treat rheumatoid
arthritis (RA). If those don’t work, they’ll look to biologics. Made of
proteins, biologics inhibit areas of the immune system that contribute to
inflammation.
At the University of Southampton, researchers have planned a
study on the biologic Enbrel as an alternative treatment for Alzheimer’s.
Enbrel blocks tumor-necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), a molecule that helps
immune cells communicate. Blocking TNF-alpha reduces inflammation in the body.
Beta-amyloid buildup also causes inflammation that remains after standard
Alzheimer’s treatments. Researchers hope that Enbrel can reduce this
inflammation and, ideally, stop Alzheimer’s damage.
4. Cholesterol medicines
Statins are widely used to help people suffering from high
cholesterol. These drugs block the action of an enzyme in the liver that
produces cholesterol. If left untreated, high cholesterol can cause plaque
buildup in the arteries and eventually cause heart attack or stroke.
Previous studies had shown that statins might cause memory
loss. However, the latest research indicates that in high doses statins help
prevent dementia. Scientists specifically noted high potency statins as having
the greatest effects on lowering dementia risks. The FDA continues to include a
warning about the cognitive effects of statins on drug labels. So, further
studies are needed before statins can receive approval as an Alzheimer’s
treatment.
