Treatments for Alzheimer’s Disease

The treatment and management of Alzheimer’s disease involves lifestyle changes, medications, and alternative and complementary therapies. The goal of treatment is to delay the progression of brain cell failure and manage symptoms. Most patients with Alzheimer’s disease wish to remain home with their family for as long as possible. Therefore, a measure of successful treatment is how long patients are able to delay transferring to a nursing home.

Treatment involves the following:

Lifestyle changes Medications Alternative and complementary therapies

Treatment options for Alzheimer's are under investigation. Patients may participate in clinical trials for potential Alzheimer’s disease treatments. Currently there are no surgical procedures for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease.

References

Alzheimer's disease. EBSCO DynaMed website. Available at: http://www.ebscohost.com/dynamed/what.php . Updated July 11, 2012. Accessed August 22, 2012.

Alzheimer's disease medications fact sheet. National Institute on Aging website. Available at: http://www.nia.nih.gov/Alzheimers/Publications/medicationsfs.htm . Updated July 2010. Accessed August 22, 2012.

Treatments for Alzheimers. Alzheimer’s Association website. Available at: http://www.alz.org/alzheimers%5Fdisease%5Ftreatments.asp . Accessed August 22, 2012.

Neugroschl J, Sano M. An update on treatment and prevention strategies for Alzheimer’s disease. Curr Neurol Neurosci Rep . 2009;9(5):368-376.

Revision Information

Reviewer: Rimas Lukas, MD
Review Date: 09/2012
Update Date: 00/91/2012

This content is reviewed regularly and is updated when new and relevant evidence is made available. This information is neither intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider prior to starting any new treatment or with questions regarding a medical condition.