New Alzheimer's drug 'halts decline'
- Thread starter Skye
- Start date
Hi All,
There will proabably be quite a few news stories on Alzheimer's this week as it is the Alzheimer's Assoc. International Conference.
The press release page for stories from the conference is here:
http://www.alz.org/Icad/press_room.asp
I always read the Alzheimer's Society's own page on research news as it gives a consistently balanced picture on these developments:
http://www.alzheimers.org.uk/site/scripts/news_category.php?categoryID=200304
It is interesting that the Alzheimer's story is in the prime spot of the BBC News web site at the moment. I guess that is a positive sign regarding the levels of awareness of AD and its place in the public imagination.
Take care,
Sandy
There will proabably be quite a few news stories on Alzheimer's this week as it is the Alzheimer's Assoc. International Conference.
The press release page for stories from the conference is here:
http://www.alz.org/Icad/press_room.asp
I always read the Alzheimer's Society's own page on research news as it gives a consistently balanced picture on these developments:
http://www.alzheimers.org.uk/site/scripts/news_category.php?categoryID=200304
It is interesting that the Alzheimer's story is in the prime spot of the BBC News web site at the moment. I guess that is a positive sign regarding the levels of awareness of AD and its place in the public imagination.
Take care,
Sandy
I heard something on the News today about a cholesterol drug that Can help people with Alzheimer's, but I miss it as I Just catch the beginning of the news head lines while at my friends house
Is that the same drug in the Link you left Hazel ?
Is that the same drug in the Link you left Hazel ?
Hi
My Mum has been prescribed statins for the past 18 years. She still has dementia.
Is it all statins or maybe a certain type (if there is such a thing)?
Or maybe, without the statins she would have developed dementia sooner
Alfjess
My Mum has been prescribed statins for the past 18 years. She still has dementia.
Is it all statins or maybe a certain type (if there is such a thing)?
Or maybe, without the statins she would have developed dementia sooner
Alfjess
I found this on it , but its was written in 04
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/14924.php
My mother is on Simvastatin for cholesterol . Also mum been talking it for 15 years .
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/14924.php
My mother is on Simvastatin for cholesterol . Also mum been talking it for 15 years .
Hi Margarita and Alfjess,
Margarita - the new drugs being described actually attempt to work directly on the plaques and tangles that form in the brains of people with Alzheimer's. The drugs that we have today, like Aricept, only try to improve the levels of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine in the brain - like turning the volume up on a stereo with faulty wiring. The new drugs are trying to fix the faulty wiring, or at least slow down the rate of the faults occurring.
Alfjess - reading the story on the BBC website:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/7524816.stm
It sounds like statins are being linked to reduced risks of dementia, quite possibily vascular dementia.
Reading the abstract of the research (http://www.neurology.org/cgi/content/abstract/71/5/344) the people in the study were followed for five years. At the end of five years, fewer of the people on statins had developed dementia/cognitive impairment than their normal risk factors would have predicted. So yes, reducing risk in this case could quite easily mean delaying the onset from 4 years (for example) to 7 years (outside the 5 years of the study window).
Take care,
Sandy
Margarita - the new drugs being described actually attempt to work directly on the plaques and tangles that form in the brains of people with Alzheimer's. The drugs that we have today, like Aricept, only try to improve the levels of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine in the brain - like turning the volume up on a stereo with faulty wiring. The new drugs are trying to fix the faulty wiring, or at least slow down the rate of the faults occurring.
Alfjess - reading the story on the BBC website:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/7524816.stm
It sounds like statins are being linked to reduced risks of dementia, quite possibily vascular dementia.
Reading the abstract of the research (http://www.neurology.org/cgi/content/abstract/71/5/344) the people in the study were followed for five years. At the end of five years, fewer of the people on statins had developed dementia/cognitive impairment than their normal risk factors would have predicted. So yes, reducing risk in this case could quite easily mean delaying the onset from 4 years (for example) to 7 years (outside the 5 years of the study window).
Take care,
Sandy
This is a Good read on it also .
http://www.itv.com/News/Articles/Cholesterol-drug-hope-for-dementia-576835878.html
Not being negative Sandy, as it does sound promising in finding a cure in the future
http://www.itv.com/News/Articles/Cholesterol-drug-hope-for-dementia-576835878.html
Just my point Sandy it that its still not a cure , Just slow it down , slow down the progression, so its still there.
Not being negative Sandy, as it does sound promising in finding a cure in the future
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You will still get AZ, but ther will be a delay of a year or so
Ron has been on statin's for over 14 year's. No help there then
Could it just be that some people have genes are not as strong as other's?
They get older and get dementia. And other's, from robust stock do not get AZ ?
Oh I don't know
All I know is we are living now with this bloody thing.
Barb & Ron XX
Ron has been on statin's for over 14 year's. No help there then
Could it just be that some people have genes are not as strong as other's?
They get older and get dementia. And other's, from robust stock do not get AZ ?
Oh I don't know
All I know is we are living now with this bloody thing.
Barb & Ron XX
Rember
The initial Trial results appear to excellent showing an improvement in 81% of sufferers prescribed with Rember. Given the opportunity I am sure that thousands of current sufferers would willingly take part in the forthcoming more extensive trials, but only if they were guaranteed not to be given the placebo!
The initial Trial results appear to excellent showing an improvement in 81% of sufferers prescribed with Rember. Given the opportunity I am sure that thousands of current sufferers would willingly take part in the forthcoming more extensive trials, but only if they were guaranteed not to be given the placebo!
Thanks for posting the link Hazel.
Interesting.
It is also great to see this research getting in the news so quickly. Six years ago this would not have even made the news (well perhaps the back page of New Scientist). I appreciate awareness is only half the battle but it does make people wakeup to the frightening and prolific nature of this terrible illness.
Kind Regards
Craig
Interesting.
It is also great to see this research getting in the news so quickly. Six years ago this would not have even made the news (well perhaps the back page of New Scientist). I appreciate awareness is only half the battle but it does make people wakeup to the frightening and prolific nature of this terrible illness.
Kind Regards
Craig
What struck me was a snippet on the six o'clock news:
"Exciting news of a new drug to halt Alzheimer's will be announced in an hour's time." (Not verbatim, just quoting from memory)
The sort of snippet that generally presages news of a political resignation -- or a new baby for Madonna.
OK, it's not going to halt AD, but the fact that it was important enough give advance notice is exciting, I believe.
"Exciting news of a new drug to halt Alzheimer's will be announced in an hour's time." (Not verbatim, just quoting from memory)
The sort of snippet that generally presages news of a political resignation -- or a new baby for Madonna.
OK, it's not going to halt AD, but the fact that it was important enough give advance notice is exciting, I believe.
Hello Folks,
It's been a really long time since i posted here. (things in my life have been crazy - I'm pregnant for the first time, hurray!, and am only just now starting to feel human again after 4 months!!!) I've been reading regularly though.
I've been watching the news avidly over the past day - and the Alzheimers drug trial has had some very satisfying coverage - a long segment on the C4 news last night, 2 on the BBC news this morning, etc etc. Terry Pratchett was on the radio this morning talking about it too.
I'm particularly interested because my dear Dad is actually one of the 321 patients on the drug trial in Aberdeen. Funnily enough I remember asking you all if anyone else was on the same trial (the drug has some really REALLY obvious side-effects) - and of course nobody was- because it was all Aberdeen-based.
So Dad has been on this trial for something like 4 years now. We now know that he was actually on the placebo for the first stage (a year I think), and then he went onto a low dose of the drug in the next stage, and now that this part of the clinical trials is over, he's allowed to take what they currently consider to be the optimum dose. this is one of the benefits of taking part in the trial, as of course the drug is not available to most people currently.
It certainly does appear that the drug has had some very very positive results. I personally don't feel it has had simply the same slowing down results as other widely used alzheimers drugs, this drug has tentatively been proven to be far far more effective - particularly in patients still with Mild Alzheimers. Dad joined the trial at moderate, and of course was on the placebo initially. in addition we feel it's possible he's suffering from more than one type of dementia. But even in him, we can see a current plateau - now that he's regularly taking the drug. Of course it's impossible to know what he'd be like if he hadn't taken it, but I can say that sometimes I'm surprised how well he's doing, all things considered, and at the advanced stage he is. I know there will be debates about giving it to patients with advanced alzheimers, prolonging certain stages, but all we want is the best for dad.
Having witnessed the progression of this drug trial, I'm excited, but I also feel sad for patients with recently diagnosed mild alzheimers, because I think it's possible this drug could really really improve their quality of life, for some time, and of course the next clinical stages of the drug won't be over for many years.
but all in all it's a very very exciting,and positive step foreward. And as other people have said, it's just wonderful to see Alzheimers stories getting such intensive coverage.
Lesleyx
It's been a really long time since i posted here. (things in my life have been crazy - I'm pregnant for the first time, hurray!, and am only just now starting to feel human again after 4 months!!!) I've been reading regularly though.
I've been watching the news avidly over the past day - and the Alzheimers drug trial has had some very satisfying coverage - a long segment on the C4 news last night, 2 on the BBC news this morning, etc etc. Terry Pratchett was on the radio this morning talking about it too.
I'm particularly interested because my dear Dad is actually one of the 321 patients on the drug trial in Aberdeen. Funnily enough I remember asking you all if anyone else was on the same trial (the drug has some really REALLY obvious side-effects) - and of course nobody was- because it was all Aberdeen-based.
So Dad has been on this trial for something like 4 years now. We now know that he was actually on the placebo for the first stage (a year I think), and then he went onto a low dose of the drug in the next stage, and now that this part of the clinical trials is over, he's allowed to take what they currently consider to be the optimum dose. this is one of the benefits of taking part in the trial, as of course the drug is not available to most people currently.
It certainly does appear that the drug has had some very very positive results. I personally don't feel it has had simply the same slowing down results as other widely used alzheimers drugs, this drug has tentatively been proven to be far far more effective - particularly in patients still with Mild Alzheimers. Dad joined the trial at moderate, and of course was on the placebo initially. in addition we feel it's possible he's suffering from more than one type of dementia. But even in him, we can see a current plateau - now that he's regularly taking the drug. Of course it's impossible to know what he'd be like if he hadn't taken it, but I can say that sometimes I'm surprised how well he's doing, all things considered, and at the advanced stage he is. I know there will be debates about giving it to patients with advanced alzheimers, prolonging certain stages, but all we want is the best for dad.
Having witnessed the progression of this drug trial, I'm excited, but I also feel sad for patients with recently diagnosed mild alzheimers, because I think it's possible this drug could really really improve their quality of life, for some time, and of course the next clinical stages of the drug won't be over for many years.
but all in all it's a very very exciting,and positive step foreward. And as other people have said, it's just wonderful to see Alzheimers stories getting such intensive coverage.
Lesleyx
Hi Lesley
Thank you for your post, it's encouraging to hear from someone with personal experience of the drug.
Great news that your dad has benefitted from it, I hope his plateau continues.
As you say, it's upsetting for people in the early stages, that it won't be available for around four years. There's also so far no indication of cost, and the question arises as to whether NICE will think it cost-effective.
Sadly, it's all too late for John, but I'll be watching the reports with interest. I hope you'll continue to keep us updated with you dad's progress.
Sorry, that sounds very clinical, as if I'm only imterested in the effects of the drug. That's not what I mean at all.
Thank you for your post, it's encouraging to hear from someone with personal experience of the drug.
Great news that your dad has benefitted from it, I hope his plateau continues.
As you say, it's upsetting for people in the early stages, that it won't be available for around four years. There's also so far no indication of cost, and the question arises as to whether NICE will think it cost-effective.
Sadly, it's all too late for John, but I'll be watching the reports with interest. I hope you'll continue to keep us updated with you dad's progress.
Sorry, that sounds very clinical, as if I'm only imterested in the effects of the drug. That's not what I mean at all.
You hear so much about 'breakthroughs' and never hear about them again and you end up getting a bit cynical, trying not to get your hopes up.
So it's great to hear first hand experience and great news about your Dad Lesley.
I certainly think that Alzheimer's is getting a much higher profile, this story was on the BBC's news homepage and on the teletext headlines.
So it's great to hear first hand experience and great news about your Dad Lesley.
I certainly think that Alzheimer's is getting a much higher profile, this story was on the BBC's news homepage and on the teletext headlines.
Hi Lesley - good news about your dad. I think I remember your post - was it the "blue urine" thing?
Hello Jenniferpa - what a good memory you have! Yes it was the blue urine. The drug is actually composed of a blue dye. It turns everything blue. If Dad accidentally bites one of the pills (it happens if you don't watch him swallow it) then his mouth looks as if he's been chewing on a broken biro, it's that dark! And it turns the urine entirely blue - a deep dark royal blue. This stains the inside of the toilet bowl, and if it gets on clothing, or carpets, it's extremely difficult to get out. You can't just wash it out you have to use the strongest stain removers (which isn't cheap and involves a lot of scrubbing!). I just hope that this drug ends up not being prohibitively expensive, and also that before it is widely used they sort out the blue dye issue - because I know in the clinical trial a number of people opted out because issues of incontinence made the blue stains almost impossible to keep up with! Of course if we know the drug works, I think the blue staining becomes irrelevant...
Sue38 - I know what you mean about becoming cynical - I do the same myself, but being in the midst of this trial, it's hard not to be excited for future sufferers when we are faced with such positive results. I do know though that having to wait years and years for clinical trials to be over, and for NICE to decide if they think it's 'worth' the money, it's hard to remain positive!
Skye - I know what you mean completely, and no of course you didn't sound clinical. in a way it's really too late for my dad too. But he was a scientist, and when he was offered a place on the trial all those years ago, he was at a stage where he could make lucid and valid decisions, and it meant the world to him to be able to help future sufferers, so that makes me happy!
Lesleyx
Sue38 - I know what you mean about becoming cynical - I do the same myself, but being in the midst of this trial, it's hard not to be excited for future sufferers when we are faced with such positive results. I do know though that having to wait years and years for clinical trials to be over, and for NICE to decide if they think it's 'worth' the money, it's hard to remain positive!
Skye - I know what you mean completely, and no of course you didn't sound clinical. in a way it's really too late for my dad too. But he was a scientist, and when he was offered a place on the trial all those years ago, he was at a stage where he could make lucid and valid decisions, and it meant the world to him to be able to help future sufferers, so that makes me happy!
Lesleyx
No problem, Lesley, I answer to (almost) anything!
It's great that your dad was able to make the decision himself to help others, knowing that it might be too late for him to benefit. And even better that it wasn't too late!
Gosh yes, I remember the blue urine post now, and how puzzling it was!
It's great that your dad was able to make the decision himself to help others, knowing that it might be too late for him to benefit. And even better that it wasn't too late!
Gosh yes, I remember the blue urine post now, and how puzzling it was!
