Posted on 07/30/2008 5:09:28 AM PDT by Straight Vermonter
A new drug halts the devastating progress of Alzheimer’s disease, say British scientists. It is said to be more than twice as effective as current treatments. A daily capsule of rember, as the drug is known, stops Alzheimer’s disease progressing by as much as 81 per cent, according to trial results. Patients with the brain disorder had no significant decline in their mental function over a 19-month period. ‘We appear to be bringing the worst affected parts of the brain functionally back to life,’ said Dr Claude Wischik, who led the research. It is the first time medication has been developed to target the ‘tangles’ in the brain that destroy nerve cells, leading to deteriorating memory. The drug helps to disrupt this process, preventing the formation of new tangles and loosening those already created. Last night the findings were hailed as the biggest breakthrough in the battle against Alzheimer’s since 1907.
< snip >
The trial was carried out by a team at the University of Aberdeen, led by Professor Wischik, who 20 years ago discovered the ‘tau protein’ which makes up the tangles. ‘This is an unprecedented result in the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease,’ he said. ‘We have demonstrated for the first time that it may be possible to arrest progression of the disease by targeting the tangles that are highly correlated with the disease.
< snip >
Images of the brain showed rember had its biggest effect in the parts linked to memory, where the density of tau tangles is greatest, with better blood flow to these areas. The drug works by dissolving the tangle of tau fibres which releases waste products that kill nerve cells, and by preventing the fibres from becoming tangled.
(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...
Wow, I hope this is true!
This may be of interest to the FR folders.
Can you ping your health list?
This sounds great! It seems to restore functionality to those that have already suffered from debilitating effects from Alzheimer’s.
£2.50-a-day drug Aricept, there are concerns over whether it would be funded on the Health Service.
If you had the choice of paying about $5 a day or having your mind go away why wouldn't you pay? Why should whether or not their fellow citizens are forced to pay for it be the deciding factor? Can you imagine someone saying "Oh I'm sorry, I'd rather have Alzheimer's than fork over the £2.50 a day out o me own pocket."
That's a long time.
Thanks for posting.
Health/life BUMP!
Someone in my family had it bad, and I lived with it as a child. If this drug reverses Alzheimer’s, but has a side effect that makes you grow a second head, it’s still worth it. Alzheimer’s can be horrible.
Great news.
Thanks for posting.
Should be a warning to every stinking Liberal on earth,...their precious socialistic heath care refuses REFUSES!! to pay 2.50 pounds a day for Aricept!
I don’t want to pay for anyone’s Aricept, but when these liberal goons vote in socialism you’d think at least their communist leaders would have the balls to fork over the dough for drugs! Europe! What a bunch of a-holes!
Way too late for my Mom I’m afraid, but for us 5 children our chances of getting it are higher than normal. We are praying for a breakthrough. Seeing my Mom nine years now in a nursing home slowly fade away from us is heartbreaking. That is no way to go, and I would not want to put my family through that if it happens to me.
The lauded British health care system - free health care for everyone, as long as treatment is well under $5 a day.
Obama wants to bring this to you.
Along with higher taxes on the hardworking "rich." I think under the Obamessiah we'll be
The British must be just like the Canadian system (as told to me by a Canadian). Both are great as long as you don’t get sick.
dude that sounds desperately sad and your mum is in my prayers. i cant imagine what it is like for your family but i truly wish you the very very best..
it truly makes you appreciate how normal ‘huge problems’ people have on a day to day basis are so so unimportant...
good luck and God willing your and your family will have the good days ye so richly deserve.
it does make me realise in some cases in drug trials and i know how important their are but i truly feel there should be a way of getting access to drugs like this if families are prepared to accept the obvious risks.
Read later
Seen it myself, it's heartbreaking, and of course, no way to go.
What? A pill?! NO embryonic stem cells?! Shocking!! /s
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.