After reading a research study indicating that the combination of Aricept and Namenda might help slow the rate of decline in Alzheimer's patients, I immediately scheduled an appointment with our doctor to discuss this information.
Showing posts with label Aricept. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Aricept. Show all posts
Generic Aricept and Namenda Update
Good news on Aricept, major price relief coming soon.
Plus, new formulations of Aricept and Namenda offer great promise.
Amplify’d from www.alzheimersreadingroom.com
I am getting a lot of search hits from Google on the articles I wrote about generic Aricept and Namenda previously.
I decided to put up an update that includes the currrent state of affairs on the patent expiration for both Aricept and Namenda and when the generic formulation will be available to consumers in the United States.
Original content Bob DeMarco, the Alzheimer's Reading Room
The World has Ended……The Diagnosis
Our world just ended. That was my first thought on hearing my husband’s diagnosis of Alzheimer’s.....By Carol Blackwell
"Dr. Blackwell, the test results are back. You did very poorly on them—not at all what would be expected from someone with your education. You have dementia and it is probably Alzheimer’s, based on your family history. There is no cure for Alzheimer’s.
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Dementia is a an illness that usually occurs slowly over time, and usually includes a progressive state of deterioration. The earliest signs of dementia are usually memory problems, confusion, and changes in the way a person behaves and communicates.
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A recently released study showed that regular exercise is one of the best ways to reduce your risk of dementia and can help slow progression of Alzheimer's disease. Less well known is the fact that if you have a big belly in middle age the chances that you could suffer from dementia are tripled.
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The Combination of Aricept and Namenda Helps Slow the Rate of Decline in Alzheimer's Patients
"The results of this study should change the way we treat patients with Alzheimer's disease. Cholinesterase inhibitors are approved for use in mild to moderate dementia, while memantine has been approved for advanced dementia. But it looks like there is an advantage in prescribing both drugs as initial treatment."--John Growdon, MD
To continue reading go here.
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The study shows that the combination of a very brief three-minute cognitive screening test, called the Mini-Cog (MC), with a Functional Activities Questionnaire (FAQ) -- administered to a family member or friend -- could accurately identify individuals with MCI and undiagnosed dementia.
To continue reading go here.
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Original content Bob DeMarco, Alzheimer's Reading Room
A new cognitive test for detecting Alzheimer's disease is quicker and more accurate than many current tests, and could help diagnose early Alzheimer's, dementia, or mild cognitive impairment.
To continue reading go here.
Dementia and the Eight Types of Dementia
Dementia is a an illness that usually occurs slowly over time, and usually includes a progressive state of deterioration. The earliest signs of dementia are usually memory problems, confusion, and changes in the way a person behaves and communicates.
To continue reading go here.
Five Ways to Keep Alzheimer's Away
A recently released study showed that regular exercise is one of the best ways to reduce your risk of dementia and can help slow progression of Alzheimer's disease. Less well known is the fact that if you have a big belly in middle age the chances that you could suffer from dementia are tripled.
To continue reading go here.
The Combination of Aricept and Namenda Helps Slow the Rate of Decline in Alzheimer's Patients
"The results of this study should change the way we treat patients with Alzheimer's disease. Cholinesterase inhibitors are approved for use in mild to moderate dementia, while memantine has been approved for advanced dementia. But it looks like there is an advantage in prescribing both drugs as initial treatment."--John Growdon, MD
To continue reading go here.
A Simple Three Minute Test Can Detect the Earliest Stage of Alzheimer's Disease
The study shows that the combination of a very brief three-minute cognitive screening test, called the Mini-Cog (MC), with a Functional Activities Questionnaire (FAQ) -- administered to a family member or friend -- could accurately identify individuals with MCI and undiagnosed dementia.
To continue reading go here.
Subscribe to The Alzheimer's Reading Room--via Email
Popular articles on the Alzheimer's Reading RoomBob DeMarco is the editor of the Alzheimer's Reading Room and an Alzheimer's caregiver. The Alzheimer's Reading Room is the number one website on the Internet for news, advice, and insight into Alzheimer's disease. Bob has written more than 800 articles with more than 18,000 links on the Internet. Bob resides in Delray Beach, FL.
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Original content Bob DeMarco, Alzheimer's Reading Room
Does the Combination of Aricept and Namenda Help Slow the Rate of Decline in Alzheimer's Patients
My name is Bob DeMarco, I am an Alzheimer's caregiver. My mother Dorothy, now 93 years old, suffers from Alzheimer's disease.
A year ago, my mother's Alzheimer's disease started to worsen. As a result, I was both concerned and worried.
At the same time, I read a new research study about the combination of Aricept and Namenda as a treatment for Alzheimer's disease.
The results of the research study indicated that the combination of Aricept and Namenda helped slow the rate of decline in Alzheimer's patients.
To continue reading go here.
Original content the Alzheimer's Reading Room.
The Complete Eldercare Planner, Revised and Updated Edition: Where to Start, Which Questions to Ask, and How to Find Help
A year ago, my mother's Alzheimer's disease started to worsen. As a result, I was both concerned and worried.
At the same time, I read a new research study about the combination of Aricept and Namenda as a treatment for Alzheimer's disease.
"The results of this study should change the way we treat patients with Alzheimer's disease. Cholinesterase inhibitors are approved for use in mild to moderate dementia, while memantine has been approved for advanced dementia. But it looks like there is an advantage in prescribing both drugs as initial treatment."--John Growdon, MD
The results of the research study indicated that the combination of Aricept and Namenda helped slow the rate of decline in Alzheimer's patients.
To continue reading go here.
Original content the Alzheimer's Reading Room.
Side Effects of Alzheimer's and Dementia Drugs
There is a new study published in the journal, Archives of Internal Medicine that caught my attention.
The study showed that users of cholinesterase inhibitors like Aricept, Exelon and Reminyl are more likely to experience slower heart rates and a higher rate of feinting episodes.
In the case of my mother, her heart rate has slowed, and this disturbed me until I discused the issue with her personal care physician. He told me what to watch for and how to monitor the situation.
My mother is not feinting. However, I know other Alzheimer's caregivers that have experienced this problem, and as a result, live in a perpetual state of angst.
Feinting leads to frequent 9-1-1 calls, and also brings risk such as the dreaded broken hip. Feinting is certainly a cause for concern.
Most of us would conclude that feinting is caused by Alzheimer's and not a problem brought on by the drug (s). This new study highlights the potential side effects of cholinesterase inhibitors.
The scientists are not suggesting that Alzheimer's patients stop taking cholinesterase inhibitors, and neither am I.
However, if you are experiencing these problems you might want to discuss these issues with your personal care physician or a specialist.
Dementia drugs may put some patients at risk, Queen’s study shows
Side effects associated with several commonly-prescribed dementia drugs may be putting elderly Canadians at risk, says Queen's University Geriatrics professor Sudeep Gill.
Cholinesterase inhibitors (Aricept, Exelon and Reminyl) are often prescribed for people with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias because they increase the level of a chemical in the brain that seems to help memory. Although such drugs are known to provoke slower heart rates and fainting episodes, the magnitude of these risks has not been clear until now.
"This is very troubling, because the drugs are marketed as helping to preserve memory and improve function," says Dr. Gill, who is an Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-term Care Career Scientist, working at Providence Care's St. Mary's of the Lake Hospital in Kingston. "But for a subset of people, the effect appears to be the exact opposite."
In a large study using province-wide data, Dr. Gill and his colleagues discovered that people who used cholinesterase inhibitors were hospitalized for fainting almost twice as often as people with dementia who did not receive these drugs. Experiencing a slowed heart-rate was 69 per cent more common amongst cholinesterase inhibitor users. In addition, people taking the dementia drugs had a 49 per cent increased chance of having permanent pacemakers implanted and an 18 per cent increased risk of hip fractures.
Unfortunately, Dr. Gill continues, this class of drugs is one of the few effective dementia treatments available today. Acknowledging that these drugs do have an important role in the management of dementia, he suggests that people who are already at a higher risk (for example, those who have had previous episodes of fainting or slowed heart rate) may want to ask their doctors to reassess the value of taking the drugs.
Slowing of the heart rate from cholinesterase inhibitors, if significant, may cause a person to faint and suffer fall-related injuries such as a broken hip - often debilitating and sometimes fatal for seniors. However, many physicians aren't aware of the connection between these problems and the dementia drugs, Dr. Gill notes.
If the association with dementia drugs is not identified, people who faint may be prescribed a permanent pacemaker: an invasive procedure that can involve serious complications for seniors. Both the injuries incurred from falling and the risks from pacemaker implants are "downstream consequences" of not recognizing this drug-induced phenomenon.
"This study does not suggest that dementia patients shouldn't take these drugs," says Dr. Gill. "What's critical is that patients, caregivers and physicians be aware of the potential side effects, and weigh these risks carefully against the potential for beneficial effects."
The findings are published in the journal, Archives of Internal Medicine. Scientists from the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences, the University of Toronto and Harvard University are also on the research team.
The study uses data housed at the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences (ICES). Ontario's first satellite unit of ICES was established at Queen's in 2007 to provide university researchers with electronic access to Ontario health datasets and population registries by secured and encrypted lines. Areas of focus at Queen's include cancer, pharmacological studies and dementia.
Contacts: Nancy Dorrance, 613.533.2869 nancy.dorrance@queensu.ca or Jeff Drake, 613.533.2877, jeff.drake@queensu.ca Queen's News and Media Services
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The study showed that users of cholinesterase inhibitors like Aricept, Exelon and Reminyl are more likely to experience slower heart rates and a higher rate of feinting episodes.
In the case of my mother, her heart rate has slowed, and this disturbed me until I discused the issue with her personal care physician. He told me what to watch for and how to monitor the situation.
My mother is not feinting. However, I know other Alzheimer's caregivers that have experienced this problem, and as a result, live in a perpetual state of angst.
Feinting leads to frequent 9-1-1 calls, and also brings risk such as the dreaded broken hip. Feinting is certainly a cause for concern.
Most of us would conclude that feinting is caused by Alzheimer's and not a problem brought on by the drug (s). This new study highlights the potential side effects of cholinesterase inhibitors.
The scientists are not suggesting that Alzheimer's patients stop taking cholinesterase inhibitors, and neither am I.
However, if you are experiencing these problems you might want to discuss these issues with your personal care physician or a specialist.
"This study does not suggest that dementia patients shouldn't take these drugs," says Dr. Gill. "What's critical is that patients, caregivers and physicians be aware of the potential side effects, and weigh these risks carefully against the potential for beneficial effects."
To receive more information about Alzheimer's -- Subscribe to The Alzheimer's Reading Room
Dementia drugs may put some patients at risk, Queen’s study shows
Side effects associated with several commonly-prescribed dementia drugs may be putting elderly Canadians at risk, says Queen's University Geriatrics professor Sudeep Gill.
Cholinesterase inhibitors (Aricept, Exelon and Reminyl) are often prescribed for people with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias because they increase the level of a chemical in the brain that seems to help memory. Although such drugs are known to provoke slower heart rates and fainting episodes, the magnitude of these risks has not been clear until now.
"This is very troubling, because the drugs are marketed as helping to preserve memory and improve function," says Dr. Gill, who is an Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-term Care Career Scientist, working at Providence Care's St. Mary's of the Lake Hospital in Kingston. "But for a subset of people, the effect appears to be the exact opposite."
In a large study using province-wide data, Dr. Gill and his colleagues discovered that people who used cholinesterase inhibitors were hospitalized for fainting almost twice as often as people with dementia who did not receive these drugs. Experiencing a slowed heart-rate was 69 per cent more common amongst cholinesterase inhibitor users. In addition, people taking the dementia drugs had a 49 per cent increased chance of having permanent pacemakers implanted and an 18 per cent increased risk of hip fractures.
Unfortunately, Dr. Gill continues, this class of drugs is one of the few effective dementia treatments available today. Acknowledging that these drugs do have an important role in the management of dementia, he suggests that people who are already at a higher risk (for example, those who have had previous episodes of fainting or slowed heart rate) may want to ask their doctors to reassess the value of taking the drugs.
Slowing of the heart rate from cholinesterase inhibitors, if significant, may cause a person to faint and suffer fall-related injuries such as a broken hip - often debilitating and sometimes fatal for seniors. However, many physicians aren't aware of the connection between these problems and the dementia drugs, Dr. Gill notes.
If the association with dementia drugs is not identified, people who faint may be prescribed a permanent pacemaker: an invasive procedure that can involve serious complications for seniors. Both the injuries incurred from falling and the risks from pacemaker implants are "downstream consequences" of not recognizing this drug-induced phenomenon.
"This study does not suggest that dementia patients shouldn't take these drugs," says Dr. Gill. "What's critical is that patients, caregivers and physicians be aware of the potential side effects, and weigh these risks carefully against the potential for beneficial effects."
The findings are published in the journal, Archives of Internal Medicine. Scientists from the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences, the University of Toronto and Harvard University are also on the research team.
The study uses data housed at the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences (ICES). Ontario's first satellite unit of ICES was established at Queen's in 2007 to provide university researchers with electronic access to Ontario health datasets and population registries by secured and encrypted lines. Areas of focus at Queen's include cancer, pharmacological studies and dementia.
Contacts: Nancy Dorrance, 613.533.2869 nancy.dorrance@queensu.ca or Jeff Drake, 613.533.2877, jeff.drake@queensu.ca Queen's News and Media Services
| Bob DeMarco is an Alzheimer's caregiver and editor of the Alzheimer's Reading Room. The Alzheimer's Reading Room is the number one website on the Internet for insight into Alzheimer's disease. Bob taught at the University of Georgia, was an executive at Bear Stearns, the CEO of IP Group, and is a mentor. He has written more than 600 articles with more than 11,000 links on the Internet. Bob resides in Delray Beach, FL. |
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