5 ms·

Too many companies want to cure a disease with a drug. It is understandable since a drug can be patented and the company can make a profit. Unfortunately this

by mhkool 8y ago

Too many companies want to cure a disease with a drug. It is understandable since a drug can be patented and the company can make a profit. Unfortunately this means that diseases that do not require a drug never get cured.... Unless you name is Dr Dale Bredesen. Dr Bredesen has a methododoly instead of a drug to reverse Alzheimer. He has published about it and reverses Alzheimer in 9 out 10 patients and is currently doing new studies with a larger number of patients. TL;DR go to bed at 10 PM, do stress management, exercise a little, eat well and take supplements (blood tests determine which ones), and take a couple of other substances that our body needs, Alzheimer's disappears in less than 4 months.

howard941 8y ago
Have his results been replicated? It's been 3 or 4 years since his work was published (per https://seniorplanet.org/can-a-controversial-new-treatment-reverse-alzheimers-memory-loss/ https://seniorplanet.org/can-a-controversial-new-treatment-r...).
- mhkool 8y ago
  Sorry, not yet. There is a new study going on with ~100 patients and the only comment that was made is "the results are similar to the first one".
WhompingWindows 8y ago
Can you provide a link to that research? I'm somewhat connected to Alzheimers research professionally, I study dementia and delirium in the elderly. I have not heard of that and it honestly sounds impossible. If such a simple solution were on offer and so wonderful, surely blinded randomized clinical trials would bear the evidence needed to support your very strong assertions. Keep in mind over 5 million die from Alzheimers each year in the USA, and that will triple over time. It's not something to speak lightly about or spread misinformation about.
- notadoc 8y ago
  This is likely the study referred to, out of UCLA: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4221920/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4221920/
  - JamesBarney 8y ago
    This is the most preliminary evidence possible. Just a couple of case studies. It'll be interesting to see how this pans out with larger trials but there are plenty of Alzheimer drugs that have had far more evidence for their effectiveness then this regimen, and ultimately failed to make any meaningful difference.
    - notadoc 8y ago
      Yes they accept that large trials are obviously needed. > The results suggest that memory loss may be reversed and improvement sustained with the therapeutic program, but Bredesen cautioned that the results need to be replicated. > “The current, anecdotal results require a larger trial, not only to confirm or refute the results reported here, but also to address key questions raised, such as the degree of improvement that can be achieved routinely, how late in the course of cognitive decline reversal can be effected, whether such an approach may be effective in patients with familial Alzheimer’s disease, and last, how long improvement can be sustained,” he said. From http://newsroom.ucla.edu/releases/memory-loss-associated-with-alzheimers-reversed-for-first-time http://newsroom.ucla.edu/releases/memory-loss-associated-wit...
      - mhkool 8y ago
        There are no more published results. In interviews Dr Bredesen confirms that the patients after 4 years on the protocol still are without Alzheimer. One more anecdotal story: one patient did not like the protocol and stopped, Alzheimer returned, started the protocol again, Alzheimer reversed. This happened various times with the same patient. Make your own conclusions/assumptions. There is a new study with ~100 patients but is is not yet finished.
burlesona 8y ago
That’s really interesting. Do you have a link?
rpedela 8y ago
While sleep, exercise, healthy food, etc may certainly prevent or delay the onset [1], once you have Alzheimer's, it is too late. This is like telling someone with gangrene that all they need is neosporin, a fresh bandage, and rest. Except it is too late for that once you have gangrene, your only options are antibiotics or amputation. 1. https://www.ted.com/talks/lisa_genova_what_you_can_do_to_prevent_alzheimer_s https://www.ted.com/talks/lisa_genova_what_you_can_do_to_pre...
- mhkool 8y ago
  you did not get it. Dr Bredesen does reverse Alzheimer in 9 out of 10 patients. No theory or BS here.
  - rpedela 8y ago
    Oh I get it. I have heard the same stuff about cancer, heart disease, and every other major disease. And yet the people who take the natural route end up dying sooner on average. Once a disease progresses to a certain point, diet and exercise stop working as a treatment because the disease has already done too much damage. Is it possible that there is a natural cure for Alzheimer's? Given we don't know the cause yet, sure it is possible. But one study with 10 people is not enough evidence to claim there is one. If you simply said "hey I found this interesting, published study that suggests there may be a natural treatment", then you probably wouldn't have been down voted to hell. Instead you asserted that there is a natural treatment with very little evidence.
    - mhkool 8y ago
      ok, you do want to get it. This doctor publishes data about 10 patients that are made up.
      - rpedela 8y ago
        The study was not a double-blind, placebo trial which means the positive result could have been because one of the following: 1. Patients didn't actually have Alzheimer's. Given the only definitive test for it is a brain exam after death, this is possible. 2. There was a placebo effect. 3. There was a therapeutic effect better than placebo. You are assuming #3 but we can't draw that conclusion yet. Even the authors of the study aren't claiming #3.
notadoc 8y ago
> Too many companies want to cure a disease with a drug. Sustained treatment of symptoms is where the money is, cures are not. Putting patients on a maintenance drug regimen is longterm revenue stream. > He has published about it and reverses Alzheimer in 9 out 10 patients and is currently doing new studies with a larger number of patients. TL;DR go to bed at 10 PM, do stress management, exercise a little, eat well and take supplements (blood tests determine which ones), and take a couple of other substances that our body needs, Alzheimer's disappears in less than 4 months. Here is the study you reference, out of UCLA: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4221920/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4221920/ Interesting results, but it'd be great if someone reproduced that at a large scale. On a similar note, you can cure type 2 diabetes in nearly any patient by putting them on a healthy diet of 800 calories a day for about 5 months, and then slowly growing their caloric intake back up to around 1500 a day (which is probably about the maximum necessary amount for most adult males in todays sedentary societal environment). This is well studied, proven, and reproducible, but telling people to not overeat and to avoid garbage food is not a particularly profitable endeavor. https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(17)33102-1/fulltext https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6...
EamonnMR 8y ago
> 10 PM, do stress management, exercise a little, eat well a Most people won't do those things, but will take a pill. Also, there's no need for a whole company to invent clean living or whatever, that's mostly the purview of TEDx talks and self-help authors.
- mhkool 8y ago
  BUT if you do the whole package, Alzheimer goes away. I suggest to read https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4221920/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4221920/
vpribish 8y ago
wow! step back and read what you wrote. it sounds like the writings of a total crank.
- dang 8y ago
  Please don't be uncivil or call names in arguments, regardless of how wrong you think someone is. https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html

by mhkool 8y ago

howard941 8y ago

Have his results been replicated? It's been 3 or 4 years since his work was published (per https://seniorplanet.org/can-a-controversial-new-treatment-reverse-alzheimers-memory-loss/ https://seniorplanet.org/can-a-controversial-new-treatment-r...).

mhkool 8y ago
Sorry, not yet. There is a new study going on with ~100 patients and the only comment that was made is "the results are similar to the first one".

WhompingWindows 8y ago

Can you provide a link to that research? I'm somewhat connected to Alzheimers research professionally, I study dementia and delirium in the elderly. I have not heard of that and it honestly sounds impossible. If such a simple solution were on offer and so wonderful, surely blinded randomized clinical trials would bear the evidence needed to support your very strong assertions. Keep in mind over 5 million die from Alzheimers each year in the USA, and that will triple over time. It's not something to speak lightly about or spread misinformation about.

notadoc 8y ago
This is likely the study referred to, out of UCLA: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4221920/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4221920/
- JamesBarney 8y ago
  This is the most preliminary evidence possible. Just a couple of case studies. It'll be interesting to see how this pans out with larger trials but there are plenty of Alzheimer drugs that have had far more evidence for their effectiveness then this regimen, and ultimately failed to make any meaningful difference.
  - notadoc 8y ago
    Yes they accept that large trials are obviously needed. > The results suggest that memory loss may be reversed and improvement sustained with the therapeutic program, but Bredesen cautioned that the results need to be replicated. > “The current, anecdotal results require a larger trial, not only to confirm or refute the results reported here, but also to address key questions raised, such as the degree of improvement that can be achieved routinely, how late in the course of cognitive decline reversal can be effected, whether such an approach may be effective in patients with familial Alzheimer’s disease, and last, how long improvement can be sustained,” he said. From http://newsroom.ucla.edu/releases/memory-loss-associated-with-alzheimers-reversed-for-first-time http://newsroom.ucla.edu/releases/memory-loss-associated-wit...
    - mhkool 8y ago
      There are no more published results. In interviews Dr Bredesen confirms that the patients after 4 years on the protocol still are without Alzheimer. One more anecdotal story: one patient did not like the protocol and stopped, Alzheimer returned, started the protocol again, Alzheimer reversed. This happened various times with the same patient. Make your own conclusions/assumptions. There is a new study with ~100 patients but is is not yet finished.

burlesona 8y ago

That’s really interesting. Do you have a link?

rpedela 8y ago

While sleep, exercise, healthy food, etc may certainly prevent or delay the onset [1], once you have Alzheimer's, it is too late. This is like telling someone with gangrene that all they need is neosporin, a fresh bandage, and rest. Except it is too late for that once you have gangrene, your only options are antibiotics or amputation. 1. https://www.ted.com/talks/lisa_genova_what_you_can_do_to_prevent_alzheimer_s https://www.ted.com/talks/lisa_genova_what_you_can_do_to_pre...

mhkool 8y ago
you did not get it. Dr Bredesen does reverse Alzheimer in 9 out of 10 patients. No theory or BS here.
- rpedela 8y ago
  Oh I get it. I have heard the same stuff about cancer, heart disease, and every other major disease. And yet the people who take the natural route end up dying sooner on average. Once a disease progresses to a certain point, diet and exercise stop working as a treatment because the disease has already done too much damage. Is it possible that there is a natural cure for Alzheimer's? Given we don't know the cause yet, sure it is possible. But one study with 10 people is not enough evidence to claim there is one. If you simply said "hey I found this interesting, published study that suggests there may be a natural treatment", then you probably wouldn't have been down voted to hell. Instead you asserted that there is a natural treatment with very little evidence.
  - mhkool 8y ago
    ok, you do want to get it. This doctor publishes data about 10 patients that are made up.
    - rpedela 8y ago
      The study was not a double-blind, placebo trial which means the positive result could have been because one of the following: 1. Patients didn't actually have Alzheimer's. Given the only definitive test for it is a brain exam after death, this is possible. 2. There was a placebo effect. 3. There was a therapeutic effect better than placebo. You are assuming #3 but we can't draw that conclusion yet. Even the authors of the study aren't claiming #3.

notadoc 8y ago

> Too many companies want to cure a disease with a drug. Sustained treatment of symptoms is where the money is, cures are not. Putting patients on a maintenance drug regimen is longterm revenue stream. > He has published about it and reverses Alzheimer in 9 out 10 patients and is currently doing new studies with a larger number of patients. TL;DR go to bed at 10 PM, do stress management, exercise a little, eat well and take supplements (blood tests determine which ones), and take a couple of other substances that our body needs, Alzheimer's disappears in less than 4 months. Here is the study you reference, out of UCLA: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4221920/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4221920/ Interesting results, but it'd be great if someone reproduced that at a large scale. On a similar note, you can cure type 2 diabetes in nearly any patient by putting them on a healthy diet of 800 calories a day for about 5 months, and then slowly growing their caloric intake back up to around 1500 a day (which is probably about the maximum necessary amount for most adult males in todays sedentary societal environment). This is well studied, proven, and reproducible, but telling people to not overeat and to avoid garbage food is not a particularly profitable endeavor. https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(17)33102-1/fulltext https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6...

EamonnMR 8y ago

> 10 PM, do stress management, exercise a little, eat well a Most people won't do those things, but will take a pill. Also, there's no need for a whole company to invent clean living or whatever, that's mostly the purview of TEDx talks and self-help authors.

mhkool 8y ago
BUT if you do the whole package, Alzheimer goes away. I suggest to read https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4221920/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4221920/

vpribish 8y ago

wow! step back and read what you wrote. it sounds like the writings of a total crank.

dang 8y ago
Please don't be uncivil or call names in arguments, regardless of how wrong you think someone is. https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html