While recent news reports have highlighted stepped-up collaboration among scientists in government agencies, universities, and private industry to develop new Alzheimer's drugs, there is certainly no cure on the immediate horizon. Indeed, the drugs currently on the market are not effective as the disease takes its devastating course. "We have no satisfactory treatment for Alzheimer's disease," Kosik said. "If you have a problem for which neither surgery nor pills will work, then the medical system is really more of an obstacle than a help." He explained that people don't generally know this and they think that if they have a medical problem, they should seek help within the medical system. "It need not work that way," he said.

New ethical guidelines are needed to address how testing is handled and for end-of-life care, Kosik argues. The authors recommend clear discussion of medical wishes at the earliest possible stage among patients, families, and physicians. In his clinical work, Kosik found that many patients say they would rather not go on living than accept an illness that will rob their life of dignity.

The time to act is now, the authors write in THE ALZHEIMER'S SOLUTION. With the aging of nearly 80 million baby boomers, Alzheimer's disease is an impending epidemic. To meet this challenge, Kosik and Clegg propose that a network of one-stop centers should be established to provide expertise and reliable information on a range of topics, including diet, physical and cognitive exercise programs that may help reduce the risk for dementia, and palliative measures to reduce suffering. The centers they describe would take a family-oriented, personalized approach to care and prevention, creating an atmosphere conducive to adult learning, and facilitating personal growth in areas that patients have enjoyed over a lifetime, including the arts, dance, socializing, and a host of other possibilities.

Source: Prometheus Books