Alzheimer's

NICE (National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence) were supposed to publish their guidelines for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease but have delayed this and have instaed put out their draft guidelines. I suppose this means that there is still some hope. I mentioned this briefly back in March but have a lot more to say on this matter now.

NICE are suggesting that the only effective drugs used in the treatment of Alzheimer's be used only once patients have progressed to the moderate/severe stages of the disease. That is, once the disease has progressed far enough to affect daily life for patients and their carers, often to the extent where the patient has to leave their home for long term care. Is it really fair to wait until a disease has become this severe before starting treatment?

Alzheimer's does not just manifest as memory loss. Depression, aggression, delusions and hallucinaitons are other common symptoms on top of the cognitve decline. (Indeed, the guidelines suggest that the one drug which in severe Alzheimers is effective against these distressing, behavioural symptoms be withdrawn altogether). The disease doesn't just affect the patient, carers are as affected by Alzheimers and are often elderly spouses who find the physical demands as hard as the emotional strain. There is no cure but current treatments slow the progression of this disease, allowing people affected by Alzheimer's to maintain a better quality of life for longer. While these draft guidelines are better than the complete ban on the use of these drugs that was suggested last year, not all of the factors have been taken into consideration and the new suggestions are still far from ideal.

For more information on dementia or the NICE guidelines visit the Alzheimer's Society. They can also offer help and support if you or someone you know is affectd by dementia. (Or the Alzheimer's Association in the US - but the NICE business is irrelevent so you US readers probably won't have got this far)!