Apr. 22--People who suspect they have significant memory loss can face terrifying questions:
Do I have Alzheimer's disease? If not, what's causing the forgetfulness? If it is Alzheimer's, what can be done?
Two Triangle experts, Duke dementia expert Dr. Murali Doraiswamy and Lisa Gwyther, founder of Duke's Alzheimer's Family Support program, have collaborated on a new book. Called "The Alzheimer's Action Plan," the book is designed to provide information for people and families dealing with the disease. We caught up with Doraiswamy for an interview.
Q: What core facts do people need to know about dementia?
A: They need to know the difference between benign forgetfulness and more serious forms of memory loss such as those caused by Alzheimer's. All too often, people cannot differentiate one from the other and a lot of time goes by.
You don't want to wait until the grocery store clerk can pick it up.
Q: What can be done about memory loss?
A: The right diagnosis is really important. Is memory loss caused by something other than Alzheimer's? It can be caused by depression, thyroid or strokes, and all those require specific treatments. Any of those are treatable to the point that memory can be brought back to near normal.
Q: Why is early diagnosis important?
A: People have the right to know early. They have the right to grieve and they have a right to plan for the future.
There's evidence that people who start medication early tend to do better and function at higher levels than people who start six months later.
Q: But there's no cure?
A: There's no cure and none of these medicines are going to halt the disease; they are not going to reverse the basic underlying disease process.
Q: What are some of the misconceptions about Alzheimer's disease?
A: The biggest misconception is that it's "old-timer's disease," that there's nothing I can do about it, why bother to make the diagnosis?
There's another misconception that it's not treatable. Rheumatoid arthritis is not curable, but it's treatable.
Q: What about clinical trials?
A: If you are altruistic and you want to help science and be part of developing drugs for the next generation, it's a good thing to do.
The positive benefit of the trial is that you might end up getting a blockbuster drug years before it's approved by the FDA. But the odds are low that someone will end up getting a drug that will be beneficial. A trial offers hope, it offers access to the top specialists and it offers regular monitoring. There's also the sense that you are doing something rather than being passive.
thomas.goldsmith@newsobserver.com or (919) 829-8929
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