Popular Alzheimer's Drug Found to Be All But Worthless in Independent Study

[Guest guest]

Popular Alzheimer's Drug Found to Be All But Worthless in Independent St JoAnn

Guest Apr 10, 2005 10:02 PDT

http://www.newstarget.com/001692.html

 

A new independent study, conducted at the University of Birmingham, UK,

reveals that a popular prescription drug for Alzheimer's disease,

Aricept, offers no real benefit to Alzheimer's patients compared to

placebo.

And yet, the drug has been approved and heavily marketed based on

findings from drug trials funded by its maker who claims the drug

benefits Alzheimer's patients in scientifically proven ways.

As it turns out, the drug does seem to help Alzheimer's patients score

slightly higher on cognitive tests, but it has no real benefit in

delaying the institutionalization of Alzheimer's patients.

 

 

 

In the study, 42% of candidates taking the drug ended up in institutions

within 3 years, compared to 44% who ended up in institutions after

taking placebo.

 

The author of this study, Richard Gray, said, " Doctors and health care

funders need to question whether it would be better to invest in more

doctors and nurses and more social support rather than spending huge

sums of money prescribing these expensive drugs. "

 

The findings presented here certainly don't surprise me. When

independent studies are conducted on high-profit, brand-name

prescription drugs, they typically come to a very different conclusion

than the one offered by the manufacturer of that drug.

 

As we know, drug trials are frequently distorted and selected to show

only the positive results. These findings are then forwarded to the FDA,

where the drugs are approved for widespread use.

 

But during this process, studies showing negative effects of the drug

are ignored or buried and are almost never made public unless they have

to be revealed in lawsuits. What we see in this case is a very expensive

Alzheimer's drug that, from a scientific standpoint, has little or no

benefit to patients, but yet is right now being marketed and prescribed

as something that offers a tremendous benefit to patients.

 

If you look at the marketing materials offered by the manufacturer of

Aricept, you will find a large number of statements that imply this drug

enhances the quality of life of Alzheimer's patients (and especially

boosts their mental performance in significant ways).

 

But as this independent study seems to indicate, those claims are

distorted, or, you could say they are accurate but they are highly

selective statements, designed to get physicians and patients to focus

on the few things the drug does improve, while ignoring the overall

quality of life to the patient (which is not improved by the drug).

 

All of this is yet more evidence that prescription drugs largely do not

work. They are over-hyped, over-sold, and approved for widespread use

under rather dubious conditions. In an astounding number of cases, when

FDA-approved prescription drugs are held up to the scrutiny of

independent tests, they are found to be all but worthless.

 

As Americans, we are being sold empty promises in the form of extremely

expensive prescription drugs marketed by companies that seem to be far

more interested in profits than in improving the quality of life of

people around the world.

 

Alzheimer's drugs in particular are extremely profitable due to the

growing epidemic of Alzheimer's in the United States and around the

world. In the decades ahead, Alzheimer's disease is expected to

skyrocket, creating potentially a multi-billion dollar market for

prescription drugs to treat the symptoms of the disease.

You can bet that more and more of these prescription drugs will be

approved and marketed with dubious claims that exaggerate the benefits

of the drug and minimize the drug's risks.

 

If you really want to prevent Alzheimer's, you can do that by making

lifestyle changes. You can change your diet, give yourself outstanding

nutrition (see related ebook on nutrition) (search this site for

" Alzheimer's " to learn more), and avoid the " metabolic disruptors " that

disrupt normal nervous system function in the human body.

 

Those include ingredients such as MSG, aspartame, and artificial

colors. You can also engage in mentally challenging activities such as

doing crossword puzzles, playing card games with friends, giving

speeches, or playing strategy games. Learning a new language also

engages the brain and helps prevent Alzheimer's.

 

Sitting in front of the TV, on the other hand, promotes the onset of

Alzheimer's.

 

 

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AIM Barleygreen

" Wisdom of the Past, Food of the Future "

 

http://www.geocities.com/mrsjoguest/Diets.html

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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