A combination of diet, medication and lifestyle changes can reverse memory loss in Alzheimer's patients for the first time, according to new research. The new study suggests that a combination of broad-based treatments and personalized therapy can counteract the effects of memory loss.
Researchers observed a small sample of 10 patients suffering from Alzheimer's disease. All patients showed improvements in memory during the initial few months and increased improvement within a two-year period.
The treatment consisted of a complex, 36-point therapeutic program that combined factors such as comprehensive diet changes, exercise and sleep optimization. The program also encouraged brain stimulation, specific drugs and vitamins and other factors that affect brain chemistry.
The approach of the treatment was personalized and was tailored to fit each individual patient. The approach was also based on extensive testing to determine the most appropriate therapies for each patient's brain.
Published in the journal Aging, the findings assert to be the first to claim that memory loss in patients with Alzheimer's can be reversed and improved. No drug has been able to slow or stop the progression of Alzheimer's, according to Daily Mail.
The program was inspired y the success of combo therapies to treat chronic illnesses such as cancer, heart disease and HIV, according to Tech Times. The extensive network of molecular interactions that typically plays in Alzheimer's development also suggested that a boarder-based therapeutic approach could be effective.
The new research hopes to initiate the first effective treatment of the disease, according to Dr. Dale Bredesen, lead author of the study. Dr. Bredesen explains that while the results are encouraging, a more extensive and controlled clinical trial is still needed.
A few patients who took part in the study had been struggling with their jobs or had to stop working due to their disease. After implementing the lifestyle changes, every patient has been able to return to their jobs with improved performance.
While previous studies had mixed results on the impact of diet, exercise and healthy lifestyle choices, it can now be seen as a potential means to prevent Alzheimer's. The disease currently affects nearly 5 million people in the United States alone.
