This site is intended for healthcare professionals

Go to /sign-in page

You can view 5 more pages before signing in

Go to /pro/cpd-dashboard page

This page is worth 0.05 CPD credits. CPD dashboard

Go to /account/subscription-details page

This page is worth 0.05 CPD credits. Upgrade to Pro

Management of Alzheimer's disease

Last reviewed dd mmm yyyy. Last edited dd mmm yyyy

Authoring team

The management of Alzheimer's disease (AD) includes:

  • drug treatment:
    • some will have a good response to the cholinesterase inhibitors, such as donepezil, rivastigmine and galantamine (in the UK) and tacrine (in the US). These drugs are available for the treatment of mild to moderate AD. There may be a slowing or even arrest of cognitive decline for about 8-9 months (1,4); however the underlying disease process is not halted
    • memantine is another possible drug treatment for AD
      • first N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor antagonist to be licensed for the treatment of patients with moderately severe to severe AD (1,4)
  • avoid alcohol & drugs if possible, and treat diseases which may exacerbate confusion
  • social and community support - multidisciplinary approach
  • exercise - there is evidence that regular exercise may lead to a slower decline in activities of daily living (2)
    • there is study evidence that a 6-month program of physical activity provided a modest improvement in cognition over an 18-month follow-up period (2).

Notes:

  • aspirin in AD:
    • study evidence revealed that treatment with low-dose aspirin had no worthwhile benefit in patients with AD and increased the risk of serious bleeds (3)
  • effectiveness of cholinesterase inhibitors and memantine in AD:
    • a review revealed that treatment of dementia with cholinesterase inhibitors and memantine can result in statistically significant but clinically marginal improvement in measures of cognition and global assessment of dementia (5).

Reference:


Create an account to add page annotations

Annotations allow you to add information to this page that would be handy to have on hand during a consultation. E.g. a website or number. This information will always show when you visit this page.

The content herein is provided for informational purposes and does not replace the need to apply professional clinical judgement when diagnosing or treating any medical condition. A licensed medical practitioner should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions.

Connect

Copyright 2024 Oxbridge Solutions Limited, a subsidiary of OmniaMed Communications Limited. All rights reserved. Any distribution or duplication of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited. Oxbridge Solutions receives funding from advertising but maintains editorial independence.