Last evening Julianne Moore won an Oscar for her moving portrayal of a woman dealing with the initial signs of cognitive decline due to early onset Alzheimer’s disease. In interviews re this role Ms. Moore stated that there is presently no cure for and no treatment to halt the progression of Alzheimer’s disease.
However, we do have currently available medications which ameliorate symptoms and, according to many investigators, are felt to slow progression of the disease. It is felt that the currently available medications help improve the quality of life of the individual, although they do not extend the individual’s life span.
An interesting article in the AARP Bulletin (Jan-Feb 2015) discusses the rapidly increasing number of diagnosed Alzheimer’s patients and the relatively poor funding for research in relation to other diseases like heart disease and HIV/AIDS.
It is also interesting to note that people from all walks of life are afflicted with this disease.
Politics: Ronald Reagan, Margaret Thatcher, Cyrus Vance, William Proxmire
Entertainment: Jimmy Stewart, Perry Como, Etta James, Peter Falk, Charles Bronson, Charlton Heston, Glenn Campbell
Publisher: Ben Bradlee
Columnist: Abigail Van Buren
Artist: William De Kooning
Boxer: Floyd Patterson
Author: Iris Murdoch
Alzheimer’s disease research is exploding with new information and discoveries every day. There are many new medications in clinical trials, some of which are available in our office. Please call if you would like information re our research programs.
