Alzheimers is a progressive, neurodegenerative disease characterized in the brain by abnormal clumps (amyloid plaques) and tangled bundles of fibers (neurofibrillary tangles) composed of misplaced proteins.

Age is the most important risk factor for Alzheimers; the number of people with the disease doubles every 5 years beyond age 65.

Three genes have been discovered that cause early onset (familial) Alzheimers. Other genetic mutations that cause excessive accumulation of amyloid protein are associated with age-related (sporadic) Alzheimers.

Symptoms of Alzheimers include memory loss, language deterioration, impaired ability to mentally manipulate visual information, poor judgment, confusion, restlessness, and mood swings.

Eventually Alzheimers destroys cognition, personality, and the ability to function. The early symptoms of Alzheimers, which include forgetfulness and loss of concentration, are often missed because they resemble natural signs of aging.

Treatment for Alzheimers

There is no cure for Alzheimers and no way to slow the progression of the disease. For some people in the early or middle stages of Alzheimers, medication such as tacrine (Cognex) may alleviate some cognitive symptoms.

Donepezil (Aricept), rivastigmine (Exelon), and galantamine (Reminyl) may keep some symptoms from becoming worse for a limited time. A fifth drug, memantine (Namenda), was recently approved for use in the United States.

Combining memantine with other Alzheimers drugs may be more effective than any single therapy. One controlled clinical trial found that patients receiving donepezil plus memantine had better cognition and other functions than patients receiving donepezil alone.

Also, other medications may help control behavioral symptoms such as sleeplessness, agitation, wandering, anxiety, and depression.

Prognosis for Alzheimers

Alzheimers is a progressive disease, but its course can vary from 5 to 20 years. The most common cause of death in Alzheimers patients is infection

Research on Alzheimers

Several clinical trials have found that acetyl-L-carnitine supplementation delays the progression of Alzheimers,improves memory, and enhances overall performance in some people with Alzheimers.

However, in one double-blind trial, people who received acetyl-L-carnitine (1 gram three times per day) deteriorated at the same rate as those given a placebo.

Overall, however, most short-term studies have shown clinical benefits, and most long-term studies (one year) have shown a reduction in the rate of deterioration. A typical supplemental amount is 1 gram taken three times per day.

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National Institutes of Health