What treatments prolong the life of a person with Alzheimer's disease?

Alzheimer's disease is a pathology with neurodegenerative disorders in the brain. As the disease progresses, patients' intellectual abilities deteriorate, memory is impaired, and self-care skills are lost. Naturally, patients and their families are primarily interested in the question: is there a cure for Alzheimer's disease? However, modern science cannot yet give a positive answer. Alzheimer's disease is treated with drugs that can only slow down the pathological process, but do not eliminate it completely. New drugs are constantly being developed to treat Alzheimer's, but they cannot yet completely eliminate the disease. The Yusupov Hospital uses the most modern methods of treating Alzheimer's disease, which normalize the patient's condition and improve his quality of life.

Symptoms of Alzheimer's disease

The disease most often occurs in old age. But its development can begin from 40 to 60 years. In most cases, I diagnose it when the signs of pathology have already become obvious, which significantly complicates the treatment of the disease and worsens the prognosis. This is due to the fact that the first signs of pathology are ignored, and in the meantime the disease progresses. The sooner medications for Alzheimer's disease are started, the greater the chance of maintaining the patient's mental clarity for a long time.

The first sign of developing Alzheimer's disease is memory loss. Typically, short-term memory suffers when the patient cannot remember recent events. At the same time, the events of bygone days are remembered very well.

Another sign of the disease is periodically inappropriate behavior of the patient. This can manifest itself as unreasonable aggression, increased irritability, and inappropriate fun. Human activity decreases and interest in the world around us disappears. A person has difficulty perceiving information, and speech impairment occurs.

As the disease progresses, the severity of clinical manifestations increases. It is recommended to start taking Alzheimer's medicine at an early stage to slow down neurodegenerative processes. Drugs for the treatment of Alzheimer's help stop the development of pathologies and improve the patient's condition.

Causes of the disease

We said above that doctors still have not precisely identified the causes that contribute to the development of Alzheimer's disease. Instead, a whole list of factors has been identified that increase the risk of the problem occurring. These include: • age over 60 years; • genetic predisposition - when a person has one of his relatives suffering from the same problem; • dependence on alcohol, smoking; • history of traumatic brain injury; • presence of diabetes mellitus; • nervous system disorder; • arterial hypertension; • serious infectious diseases in the past; • obesity; • depression. Of the listed points, diabetes, depression and other disorders of the central nervous system, and vascular problems should be highlighted separately. These factors are characterized by the highest risk, therefore they are most often found among the probable causes of the disease. If we look at the statistics, it can be noted that about 80% of people suffering from cardiovascular diseases will experience brain dysfunction and memory loss in the future. Traumatic brain injuries require special attention. If for this reason a person was unconscious for more than 24 hours, the likelihood of developing serious brain problems in the future is quite high. If a person was unconscious for more than half an hour, but less than a day, the risks decrease somewhat, but continue to remain at high levels. The listed factors cannot be called one hundred percent causes of the development of the disease, but people who have at least one of the listed points are at higher risk of developing the problem in question. As for age, everything is ambiguous here too. Initially, it was believed that Alzheimer's disease occurs in people over 60 years of age. And with every decade, the likelihood of developing the disease doubles. But, if we examine medical statistics, we can note that there are cases where serious disorders of the brain occur in the working population, even people under the age of 30. If we consider the incidence rate among women and men, statistics show that representatives of the fairer sex over the age of 65 get sick twice as often. Doctors are finding it difficult to explain this trend in which women are more likely to require treatment for Alzheimer's disease. So far, the only argument is the lack of an important female hormone in the body - estrogen, which is observed after menopause.

Main drugs for Alzheimer's disease

To date, a cure for Alzheimer's disease that actually works and can completely cure a person has not yet been invented. All developed medications only help to slow down the course of the pathology, but are not able to eliminate it.

To treat Alzheimer's disease, drugs called cholinesterase inhibitors are used. This is an enzyme necessary for the breakdown of choline. Increasing the level of acetylcholine slows down the development of pathology and the formation of amyloid protein, which is one of the causes of the development of the disease. A representative of this drug for Alzheimer's is Exelon. It is available in the form of tablets, a solution for internal administration and a patch with the active substance applied. The latter form is very convenient, since in this case the person receives the required dose of the medicine automatically. While patients usually forget to take pills.

Aricept based on donepezil hydrochloride can be used to treat any form of dementia in Alzheimer's disease. It helps eliminate the clinical manifestations of pathology and slows down degenerative processes. Available in the form of tablets and solutions.

Glutamate NMDA blockers are also used in the treatment of dementia. The representative is the drug “Akatinol Memantine”. It slows down the atrophy of the gray matter of the brain.

Clinical picture

To understand how the disease manifests itself, it is necessary to indicate that experts divide it into several stages. Depending on this factor, the signs characterizing a certain condition also differ. At an early stage, the disease practically does not manifest itself at all. Changes that characterize Alzheimer's disease begin to occur in the brain, but there are no visible manifestations of the disorder. That is why at an early stage the problem is identified only in isolated cases. The absence of signs may persist for several years. This period is called preclinical disease. Once the changes in the brain have become severe enough, a person may notice the first symptoms of the disease. They are as follows: • forgetting certain words; • rapid forgetting of recently learned material; • forgetting the location of various things; • the emergence of difficulties with planning and carrying out household or professional tasks. When the middle stage of Alzheimer's disease is observed, a person confuses words, unjustified irritability appears, and unexpected actions take place. For example, without good reason, a patient refuses to observe the rules of personal hygiene. It also makes it much more difficult for a person to express his thoughts and perform previously familiar tasks. These symptoms are the result of damage to nerve cells and the brain as a whole. At this stage, the signs of the disease become more vivid and are manifested by the following points: • disappearance from memory of fragments of the patient’s personal history; • intolerance to social activity; • depressed mood; • forgetting where the patient is; • inability to remember what day it is; • the emergence of a need for help in choosing clothes for the weather; • difficulty in controlling the bladder; • disruption of usual sleep patterns; • change in behavior, it becomes more suspicious. The last stage involves a significant deterioration in health and the need for constant care for the patient. At this stage, a person loses contact with the outside world and experiences difficulties not only with mental, but also physical activity. The patient stops walking, and over time there are noticeable difficulties even with swallowing. Communicating with people at the third stage of the disease is almost impossible. Due to the weakening of the body, they become susceptible to infections, which significantly worsens the general condition.

Second-line drugs for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease

The most effective drugs for Alzheimer's disease are cholinesterase inhibitors. However, treatment of the pathology should be comprehensive with the elimination of clinical manifestations.

What medications treat Alzheimer's disease:

• Glycine can be used to improve cerebral circulation and normalize the emotional background;
• To eliminate hallucinations and the appearance of obsessions, antipsychotics and tranquilizers can be used;
• Treatment of anxiety, panic attacks, and depression is carried out with the help of antidepressants.

All drugs for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease must be prescribed by the attending neurologist. Each of the drugs has its own contraindications and side effects, so using them independently can negatively affect your health.

In addition to drug treatment, the patient is prescribed other types of therapy:

• Physiotherapy;
• Aqua aerobics;
• Art therapy;
• Special classes to improve cognitive functions.

How to treat Alzheimer's disease: new drugs

New drugs and treatments for Alzheimer's disease are constantly being developed around the world. However, no one can yet say that a cure for Alzheimer's has been found.

An effective cure for Alzheimer's disease, developed in the United States, is currently in testing. The drug CAD 106 helps to increase antibodies to the amyloid protein, without increasing the concentration of T cells.

Another promising drug is MDA7. This immunostimulating agent, which increases the body's resistance to negative agents, stops the progression of degenerative processes in the brain.

Also, drugs that treat Alzheimer's disease may be substances originally invented for the treatment of other pathologies. Thus, Rosiglitazone, which was developed for the treatment of insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, showed good results in eliminating dementia. The drug is still being tested on animals.

Innovations in Alzheimer's Treatment

The most promising vaccine is the tau protein vaccine. Scientists from New Mexico tested the drug on mice. And the results were positive. The rodents not only improved cognitive function. In the animals' brains, the amount of amyloid plaques and fibrillar proteins decreased. But you shouldn’t draw premature conclusions. All anti-amyloid drugs also gave good results in animal models. However, they failed in clinical trials with people.

Crenezumab was the main hope for patients with asthma. Unfortunately, the drug trials were completed in January 2021. However, Roche remains optimistic. They are currently testing the possibility of treating young patients with amyloid deposits in the brain. People do not yet have clinical symptoms. Antibodies can therefore slow down the deposition of abnormal protein and prevent disease.

Gantenerumab is the second monoclonal antibody from Roche. It continues the clinical trial. But the research design had to be changed.

Stem cells guard thinking

New drugs for Alzheimer's are not yet available. Therefore, scientists are developing other methods of therapy. And the main hope is the use of stem cells. In experiments on animal models, introducing such a culture into the brain helps improve cognitive skills. For example, in an experiment on mice, after the introduction of stem cells, intelligence and the ability to find food increased. However, amyloid levels did not decrease.

Perhaps the success of treatment is due to an increase in neurophic action. Thanks to the new culture, the ability of brain cells to create new connections was activated. They were also able to restore the function of lost neurons.

MDA-7

Perhaps this drug will be used in patients with Alzheimer's. The medicine is at the stage of clinical trials.

CAD 106

Novartis is testing this substance.

RU-505

This substance blocks the connection of fibrinogen with beta-amyloid. In this complex, the volume of amyloid plaques increases.

Active brain capsules

Dietary supplements can be used as adjuvant therapy. This product contains caffeine, which can cause tachycardia in older people. Use only after consulting a doctor.

Rivastigmine tablets

The drug enhances the production of a brain neurotransmitter (acetylcholine).

Excelron

Excelron patches are a new form of an already known drug. Patients with dementia often skip medications. In some cases, they may take more than one dose. Therefore, patients with Alzheimer's require constant monitoring. The transdermal system allows for better control of drug therapy.

Prevention of Alzheimer's: drugs

Unfortunately, drugs have not yet been developed to prevent Alzheimer's disease, since the exact cause of this pathology cannot be reliably identified.

Prevention includes measures to improve overall health and improve brain function:

• Balanced diet;
• Moderate physical activity;
• Active lifestyle;
• Mental activity;
• No bad habits (smoking, drinking alcohol, drugs);
• No stress.

Prevention and its principles

Considering that treatment for Alzheimer's disease does not help a person get rid of the problem, but only improves the general condition and slows down the progression of the disease, you should think about preventing the disease so as not to have to worry about getting rid of it later. Preventive measures do not involve any special difficulties. In most situations, experts recommend the following: • proper nutrition. The diet should be enriched with products containing all the vitamins, micro- and macroelements necessary for the body. Fried and fatty foods containing substances that clog blood vessels and contribute to the development of cardiovascular diseases should be excluded from the menu as much as possible; • give up bad habits: alcohol abuse and smoking; • lead an active lifestyle, spend more time in the fresh air and move; • avoid physical fatigue, get proper rest and provide yourself with comfortable sleeping conditions; • avoid emotional stress and frequent stress. If this is impossible, you need to reconsider your attitude towards stressful situations and change your perception of such cases. If necessary, you can take a course of natural sedatives; • try to avoid extreme activities characterized by a high risk of injury. We said above that traumatic brain injuries significantly increase the risk of developing pathology; • treat any emerging diseases in a timely manner. These are basic prevention tips that will help significantly reduce the likelihood of health problems. By adhering to these recommendations, it is possible to reduce the risk that in old age you will have to wonder about effective treatment for Alzheimer's disease. It is better to take preventive measures in advance, because so far there is no medicine that can eliminate or stop the disease. The disease progresses and inevitably leads to negative consequences. That is why experts recommend taking care of your health when there are no problems with it yet and there is an opportunity to avoid them.

Treatment of Alzheimer's disease at the Yusupov Hospital

A special department has been created at the Yusupov Hospital for the treatment of neurological pathologies. The hospital's doctors have extensive experience treating various forms of Alzheimer's disease. Prescription of drugs is carried out by a qualified neurologist based on the individual characteristics of the patient.

Patient care is provided by specially trained staff who know the intricacies of caring for patients with Alzheimer's. Psychological support is also provided to patients and their relatives.

The work uses drugs for Alzheimer's, which are approved for use in Russia. Also, a certified research center operates on the basis of the Yusupov Hospital. Therefore, patients have the opportunity to receive the latest treatment, which is not available in other hospitals.

Principles of therapy

Treatment of Alzheimer's disease has become one of the most actively discussed topics today. The reason is very simple - the incidence increases every year and statistics show disappointing figures. Instead, medications that can completely stop the development of dementia and help restore the brain have not yet been found. The work of medical workers and scientists aimed at finding an effective medicine continues. So far, no success has been achieved. Doctors use existing basic measures to treat Alzheimer's disease. Initially, each patient and his relatives are given general recommendations that will help avoid numerous problems. They are as follows: • always carry the most important things: keys, phone, etc. in one pocket; • make a list of things to do every day; • set up a location tracking function on your phone, which will be useful to the patient’s relatives; • remove unnecessary furniture from a person’s apartment and free up the maximum amount of space; • minimize the number of mirrors, because the patient may not recognize himself and become very frightened; • place photographs of relatives and close people in the living room; • take daily walks in the fresh air, you can perform simple physical exercises; • avoid products containing caffeine; • review your diet and fill your diet with foods that include all the necessary vitamins, micro- and macroelements. Particular attention should be paid to products containing B vitamins. Often, the measures listed are the main recommendations that doctors can give to the relatives of a sick person when planning treatment for Alzheimer's disease. But to maintain normal well-being and improve the functioning of the brain and nervous system, auxiliary drug therapy can be carried out. It is carried out with the help of special vitamin complexes, biological additives, as well as drugs that restore and activate the activity of nerve cells and the brain as a whole. The specific name of the supplement or drug is selected individually. To determine the optimal medication for treating Alzheimer's disease, the doctor evaluates the person's age, the patient's general health, and the stage at which the disease is located. Clinical signs of the disease, the presence of allergic reactions and concomitant diseases must be taken into account. The course and dosage recommended by the doctor must be followed very carefully. This will help eliminate the possibility of side effects.