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how good is the medication that is used for slowing down alzhemiers?

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  • 09-03-2012 12:41am
    #1
    RiseToTheTop
    Closed Accounts Posts: 956 ✭✭✭


    I know as of yet there is no medication to stop it, but of the current medications how effective are they?


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    #2
    bambam26
    Registered Users Posts: 141 ✭✭bambam26


    Hi RiseToTheTop

    A tablet called Aricept is the most common one used in the treatment of Alzheimers.

    Personaly i think its hard to say if it is effective or not, as you dont know if the disease is being slowed down or not with its use, like who is to say the progression would not be at the same rate if nothing was taken
    Every patient is different so it is not like you can take 2 patient and treat one and not the other and see who progressed quicker


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    #3
    locum-motion
    Registered Users Posts: 5,143 ✭✭✭locum-motion


    bambam26 wrote: »
    ...
    Every patient is different so it is not like you can take 2 patient and treat one and not the other and see who progressed quicker

    The active ingredient in Aricept is called Donepezil.

    What you can do is do what some doctors in Canada did, namely take 468 patients, randomly split them into groups, and then treat some with 10mg Donepezil, some with 5mg Donezepil, and some with placebo, and then see what happens by testing whether there's any improvement in the patients' scores in the types of tests used to assess/diagnose Alzheimers.

    They found (roughly speaking) the following:

    1. For every 7 patients given 5mg, one had measurable benefits.
    2. For every 5 patients given 10mg, one had measurable benefits.
    3. For every 12 patients treated, one had to drop out because of side effects.
    4. More study is required.

    So, in answer to the OP's question: 10mg Donepezil is probably better thatn 5mg, which is probably better than nothing, but side effects may prevent a patient from being treated, and more study is needed.

    Reference:
    ^ Steele LS, Glazier RH (April 1999). "Is donepezil effective for treating Alzheimer's disease?". Can Fam Physician 45: 917–9. PMC 2328349. PMID 10216789.

    (This can be accessed by clicking on the 3rd reference on http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aricept)


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