Alzheimer disease is a progressive deterioration of the brain, resulting in decreased mental powers. It most often strikes after age 65 and is the fourth leading cause of death among adults in this age group. Its cause is unknown, but slow viruses, genetic traits, environmental factors (such as aluminum and pesticides), and other possibilities may be contributing factors.
CONVENTIONAL APPROACH
Because no cure or effective treatment for Alzheimer dis-ease is available, allopathic medicine focuses on helping the person with the disease function as well as possible and on easing the other conditions that often appear with the disease (ranging from depression to insomnia).
The home environment of someone with Alzheimer dis-ease should be well structured and largely free from stress. Identification bracelets and other safe-guards are needed in case the person wanders away from home. Exercise, good nutrition, and social interaction should be maintained.
The drug tacrine hydrochloride was approved by the Food and Drug Administration to treat Alzheimer disease, but it can only provide short-term reductions in symptoms for just a small percentage of patients and carries the risk of severe liver damage. Other medications are available to relieve some of the “problem behaviors” that often accompany the disease. For example, the tranquilizer haloperidol can induce calm feelings when the patient is agitated.
SYMPTOMS
- Gradual toss of memory
- Disorientation
- Change in personality
- Difficulty with routine tasks
- Decline of learning, corn– municating, judgement, and planning skills
ALTERNATIVE APPROACHES
Several alternative therapies offer ways to slow the onset and progression of Alzheimer disease in some patients. Various treatments can be used as preventive measures for people whose families have a history of the disease.
NUTRITIONAL THERAPY
Nutritional therapists use diet to deter Alzheimer disease in susceptible people. Many practitioners now believe that certain nutritional deficiencies or excesses may actually trigger the disease.
For example, free radicals, compounds in the body that damage tissues and hasten aging, have been linked to the progression of the disease. Antioxidants have the ability to neutralize free radicals and are, therefore, typically recommended as preventive measures. Nutrients that are antioxidams or help in the antioxidant process include beta-carotene, vitamins C and E, and selenium.
Good food sources of beta-carotene include apricots, car-rots, spinach, and sweet potatoes. Vitamin C is found in broccoli, grapefruits, oranges, and strawberries, and vita-min E is available from nuts and vegetable oils. Selenium is found in brewer’s yeast, cabbage, fish, liver, and whole-grain cereals. Supplements may also be prescribed to supply antioxidants, especially in the case of vitamin E, which has high-fat food sources.
Some supplements may actually be useful for slowing the progression of the disease. Phosphatidyl choline (10 to 20 grams daily) enhances the production of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine. Acetylcholine-transmitting neurons and their target nerve cells are the most frequently affected part of the brain in Alzheimer disease. N-Acetyl-L-carnitine also appears to protect neurons in a similar man-ner. Phosphatidyl serine can enhance neural functioning significantly by normalizing cell membrane fluidity.
People with Alzheimer disease are frequently deficient in vitamin B12, vitamin B6, and folate. Vitamin B12 deficiency is often associated with depression, confusion, neurologic problems, and memory loss. Folate deficiency can also cause these symptoms, and deficiency of vitamin 6 is associated with a decline in the number of receptors in the brain for the neurotransmitter dopamine. All of these symptoms of deficiency seem to parallel the major symptoms of Alzheimer-related brain disfunction. Other helpful supplements include zinc, niacin, and coenzyme Q10.
Because high concentrations of aluminum may contribute to Alzheimer disease—autopsies have revealed high levels of aluminum in the brains of people with the disnse– cookware and utensils made from this metal should not be used when preparing food. Avoiding aluminum requires detective work; it can be found in drinking water, processed foods, toothpaste, deodorants and antiperspirants, antacid tablets, and other everyday products.
A nutritional preventive strategy may call for taking vitamin E (400115), vitamin C (1,000 mg), beta-carotene (25,0001U), and phosphatidyl serine (300 mg) each day.
CHELATION THERAPY
Whether or not Alzheimer disease is triggered by the presence of heavy metals in the body is the subject of much debate. The usual metal suspect is alu-minum, although mercury and manganese have also been implicated. Amid this debate, practitioners of chelation therapy have reported that their patients who are in the early stages of the disease have found relief from their symptoms after these metals are removed from the body.
To treat Alzheimer disease, chelation therapy involves intravenous injections of disodium ethylenediaminete-traacetic acid (EDTA)—an amino acid that binds to metallic ions in the body and renders them chemically inactive. These joined-together substances are then excreted by the kidneys in the urine. Clinical studies have shown that this process also improves the flow of blood in the brain.
The treatments are often combined with a supplemental regimen of vitamins, minerals, and trace elements to replace any lost through chelation. Reported side effects have included nausea and vomiting and, if high doses of a chelating agent are used, some damage to the kidneys. Only a licensed physician is qualified to per-form chelation therapy. Look for someone who has been well trained in this treatment area and has experience specifically with Alzheimer disease.
WAVE THERAPY
Sound therapy offers several benefits during the many stages of Alzheimer disease. Sound and music are very useful in treating the “problem behaviors” that often accompany the disease, such as agitation, anxiety, and insomnia. Sound therapy can be used
- to induce feelings of calmness and relaxation
- to lower blood pressure
- to improve the overall sense of well-being
Music from the patients’ earlier days may be used to give them some sense of place and time and reminders of their lives. This is especially helpful in the early and middle stages of Alzheimer disease. Music can also replace forms of communication that are lost as Alzheimer disease progresses.
In the home, familiar music can be played to provide stimulation to the person with Alzheimer. Making tapes of music from different periods in the individual’s life can also be helpful in calming and orienting the person with the disease.
OTHER THERAPIES
Bodywork—Massage, dance therapy, and other bodywork therapies can boost mood and relieve anxiety and agitation.
Herbal Medicine—Ginkgo extract is often prescribed to boost mental function. Another herb with promise is evening primrose oil.
Homeopathy—Several remedies may be effective in the early stages of the disease.