Alzheimer’s is the sixth-leading cause of death in the country and the only cause of death among the top 10 in the United States that cannot be prevented, cured or even slowed, according to the Alzheimer’s Association. This mentally debilitating disease affects the memory and has many researchers working on new treatments to battle the disease.
One of several medications that is being clinically tested to combat Alzheimer’s hit a set back this week, showing several adverse side effects.
The issue
The medication is designed to attack BACE1, an enyzeme that promotes the growth of plaque on brain cells. However, Northwestern Medicine research shows “the drugs could act like a bad electrician, causing neurons to be miswired and interfering with their ability to send messages to the brain.”
“It’s like a badly wired house,” Robert Vassar, professor of cell and molecular biology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine said. “If the electrician doesn’t get the wiring pattern correct, your lights won’t turn on and the outlets won’t work.”
Ironically, this new medication is messing with people’s memory.
Not all bad news
Vassar says the medication dosage may need to be altered and further studies will need to explore alternative amounts and its effects.
“Let’s proceed with caution,” said Robert Vassar, professor of cell and molecular biology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. “We have to keep our eyes open for potential side effects of these drugs.”
More about Alzheimer’s
An estimated 5.4 million people have Alzheimer’s. Based on mortality data from 2000-2008, death rates have declined for most major diseases while deaths from Alzheimer’s disease have risen 66 percent during the same period.
Many Alzheimer’s patients are taken care of by family members, and an estimated 14.9 million unpaid caregivers.
The number of Americans with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias will grow each year as the proportion of the U.S. population that is over age 65 continues to increase. The number will escalate rapidly in coming years as the baby boom generation ages and Alzheimer’s will be one of many issues seniors face.
