Word: aricept
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...those who asked how my dad is faring, the answer is, unfortunately, not well. Thanks to a new Alzheimer's drug, Aricept, he did--almost magically--begin to remember who I was. But days before Christmas, despite his round-the-clock care, he fell. The doctors decided on hip-replacement surgery, which he survived in good form. Then, inexplicably, he went into a coma, which lasted for nearly a month, with him on a ventilator. My dad's neurologist clearly felt I should take him off life support and let him die in peace. For a week I couldn...
...five minutes later, he opened his eyes for the first time in 22 days! That was in January. Now, four months later, he's making slow progress back. Though he still has the tracheotomy and feeding tube, he is breathing on his own. But the effects of the Aricept are beginning to wane: some days he recognizes me, some days not. He still can't walk. And sometimes he gets so angry at all the tubes, he tries to yank them out. I have no idea what he thinks--if he's happy with me or furious...
...somewhat preventable--if not by mental gymnastics, then by chemistry--has attracted lots of interest. The National Institute on Aging launched a research trial to see if anti-inflammatory drugs, such as naproxen or the COX-2 inhibitor Vioxx, can delay onset. Another study compares the Alzheimer's drug Aricept with vitamin E to see if the latter can ease cognitive problems. But these are all preliminary explorations of intriguing clues and don't yet apply to everyday life...
There are also several clinical trials to consider joining. One of the more intriguing trials will determine whether vitamin E or an Alzheimer's drug called Aricept can prevent dementia from developing in people who are at greater risk of developing Alzheimer's disease because they have what is called mild cognitive impairment. To learn more about this and other experimental studies, call 800-438-4380 or visit www.alzheimers.org/trials...