Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) is a progressive degenerative disease that most commonly appears after the age of 50. Currently, Alzheimer’s afflicts approximately 40 percent of all individuals over the age of 85, for a total of 4 million people in the U.S. alone. When symptoms occur before the age of 65 the disease is designated Presenile Dementia of the Alzheimer’s Type (PDAT). When symptoms occur after age 65 the syndrome is referred to as Senile Dementia of the Alzheimer’s Type (SDAT). Symptoms include a gradual yet inexorable loss of memory, mental performance, communication skills, abstract thinking and personality. Ultimately, Alzheimer’s ends in the death of the patient, with a mean life expectancy of 8 years.
As well as being a profound personal tragedy for afflicted individuals and their loved ones, the financial costs of caring for victims of the disease exceed $80 billion per year. To see a patient for years and see their decline from AD is difficult for me as their physician. There is limited conventional treatment for AD. The current trend towards longer life expectancy, combined with the increased incidence of senile dementia with age, means that cases of Alzheimer’s increase alarmingly as the median age of the population grows, underscoring the urgency for finding an effective treatment for this disorder.
I turn to the Herbal World for help in AD.
The brain's cholinergic system has been the focus of many attempts at pharmacotherapy for Alzheimer's Disease (AZ) for the last twenty years. The drug on the market today as an acetylcholinesterase inhibitor (AChE) is tacrine.Tacrineis a centrally acting anticholinesterase and indirect cholinergic agonist (parasympathomimetic). It was the first centrally-acting cholinesterase inhibitor approved for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease, and was marketed under the trade nameCognex. Tacrine was first synthesised by Adrien Albert at the University of Sydney. It also acts as a histamine N-methyltransferase inhibitor
Tacrine was the prototypical cholinesterase inhibitor for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease. Studies found that it may have a small beneficial effect on cognition and other clinical measures, though study data was limited and the clinical relevance of these findings was unclear.
The use of tacrine is limited by poor oral bioavailability, the necessity for four-times daily dosing, and considerable adverse drug reactions (including nausea, diarrhea, urinary incontinence and hepatotoxicity) such that few patients could tolerate therapeutic doses.
Newer cholinesterase inhibitors, such as donepezil (Aricept), are now preferred over tacrine. I do see gastrointestinal side effects with Aricept in the elderly. I usually do a combination therapy or Aricept withNamendia. However there are herbs which have been studied with good results for AD. Huperzine is used in Chinese medicine for AD. The club moss, Huperzia serrata is a component of a tea administered to the elderly in China. It has been found that Huperzine A is a selective AChE inhibitor.
Huperzine-Ais NOT a new supplement. It is derived from an ancient traditional Chinese herbal medicine that offers hope to those suffering from Alzheimer’s disease and other age-related mental conditions. In addition to benefiting patients suffering from Alzheimer’s, Huperzine’s memory-enhancing properties suggest that it may be an effective agent for improving memory and learning in healthy humans as well.
The studies from Wang since 1986 have found good evidence to use this herb. I use it extensively with patients with AD. Hup-A has undergone double blind, placebo-controlled clinical trials in China in patients suffering from various memory disorders, including AD. In fact, it is estimated that in the past few years 100,000 people have been treated in China with Hup-A. Researchers in China claim that it helps normal elderly with memory problems as well as people with AD.
Double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trials in China have demonstrated that patients suffering from Alzheimer’s and various other memory disorders gain significant benefit, both in terms of memory and life quality. Xu et al. conducted a placebo-controlled, double-blind study in which subjects with AD were given 200 mcg/day Hup-A or placebo for 8 weeks. Statistically significant improvement was achieved in 58 percent of the treated group with respect to cognitive function and their ability to retrieve past memories.
I also use Bacopa, Prevagen and Lion’s Mane for AD
