Alternative Treatments for Alzheimer's Disease

“I think every doctor needs to be more open-mined to using not only FDA approved drugs but supplements, medical foods and other non-pharmacological approaches that have demonstrated scientifically valid efficacy. The non-pharmacological approaches often work just as well if not better than the FDA approved drugs. I am as classically trained physician, but I think all physicians have to be more open-minded. There is a lot more to it than what we are taught in medical school.

“There are many approaches to treating Alzheimer’s disease. Fish oil with DHA has been shown in several randomized, placebo controlled trials to be effective. Most recently in the November issue of the Journal of the Alzheimer’s Association, called Alzheimer’s and Dementia, a randomized, double-blind study was reported that showed that patients with age-related cognitive impairment may benefit from fish oil in the prevention from transitioning to actual Alzheimer’s Disease.

Other studies show that that the Alzheimer’s population as a whole may not benefit from fish oil, the specific subset of ApoE4 negative gene may benefit. In the emerging field called pharmogenomics, we can do a genetic test to see who will benefit from treatment. I also use a medical food called capryllic tryglyceride. Medical foods also have been shown in randomized double-blind studies to preferentially work if the patient is ApoE4 negative and has Alzheimer’s Disease.

So if it is a supplement or a medical food it is can pass the same gold standard trials as do standard pharmacological agents. But it hasn’t been FDA approved yet because these substances just have yet tested in multiple phase III, double blind placebo controlled trials."