All medications approved by the FDA for Alzheimer’s disease help treat the symptoms or slow down the progression of the disease. There are no treatments that address the underlying cause of the disease. As we learn more about the brain, researchers have been better able to design research programs that target the underlying disease. Many of these studies are focusing on prevention for those at risk of developing dementia secondary to Alzheimer’s disease even before symptoms occur.
Research studies for “memory loss prevention” include those who are at increased risk of developing dementia secondary to Alzheimer’s disease due to a combination of contributing factors such as age, family history, genetic markers and brain changes found in imaging results. This research may help to provide long-term data necessary to help us better understand progressive nature and contributing factors of Alzheimer’s disease and what can be done in the future to help find better treatments and a cure.
