A drug that targets endothelin B receptors has been shown to help reduce memory loss and reduce oxidative stress when administered through an IV to Alzheimer’s disease patients. This is a big step forward in the treatment of this disease, and although it’s not a cure, it is still going to have a positive impact on many people that are currently suffering. This goes for both victims of the disease and their family members.
Tests in lab animals show that IRL-1620 has been effective in slowing the growth of Alzheimer’s disease.
The drug is called IRL-1620, and when injected, it appears to prevent and repair damage in brain cells as Alzheimer’s disease advances. Preliminary reports say that it helps with memory loss by 55 to 60 percent, and reduces oxidative stress by 45 to 50 percent. Oxidative stress occurs when brain cells are damaged by oxidation, usually due to an imbalance of free radicals and antioxidants. Certain foods can help with this, but once Alzheimer’s disease is present, a healthy diet isn’t nearly enough to help with the issue.
This is the first report of its kind, according to authors Seema Briyal, PhD and Anil Gulati, PhD. Their studies were performed on lab animals, and not humans, but there is ample evidence to believe that there will be similar results if this study is ever forwarded on to see human testing. This can be a long and drawn out process as approvals are needed, but the potential benefits to those suffering are big. Unfortunately, those that are currently the most affected by Alzheimer’s will probably not see this come to happen in the near future.
Right now, there are more than 5 million people in the United States that have Alzheimer’s. Many of these people are experiencing a poor quality of life and are not getting the care and attention that they need. There are various reasons for this, but one of those reasons is that they are unable to speak up adequately for themselves. A drug that helps to slow down the impact of reduced cognitive functioning would help offset this a little. And while this new drug is likely to help with this, it’s also important that family members help monitor things to ensure that proper care and support is still available whenever necessary. Having an in-home caregiver in the house can also be of help here. This way, a trained set of professional eyes will also be monitoring for signs of advanced dementia and they will be able to more readily evaluate if and when more advanced care is necessary.
If you have an elderly loved one with dementia or Alzheimer’s disease and are struggling to care for them, consider in-home care as your first choice. Having a loving professional in the home will help offset the burden of daily tasks, will make sure that your loved one is supervised and safe, and will be able to give recommendations on how care can be improved when they are not in the house. In-home care might not be enough, but it’s always a good place to start because it does such a good job of reducing stress in your family’s life.
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