Going ‘off-label’ can put you on the fast track to dementia
How to fast-track yourself towards dementia in two easy steps:
Step #1: See your doctor about some “senior moments” you’ve been having.
Step #2: Fill his prescription for a med that was approved for a different condition — one that’s far worse than whatever you’re experiencing (as worrisome as it may be).
Believe it or not, this is exactly what’s been happening to perfectly normal seniors who have been given the Alzheimer’s med Aricept.
And the risk goes way beyond just taking an unnecessary drug.
Studies have found that for certain people, this med can actually “accelerate cognitive decline,” putting them in the fast lane straight to dementia.
Recently I’ve been telling you a lot about off-label prescribing. That simply means doctors can prescribe an FDA-approved drug for a condition it wasn’t intended to treat. And that practice could very well turn out to be one of the biggest risks involved in taking Rx drugs.
As an example, Aricept is fast becoming the “go-to” drug for a condition called “mild cognitive impairment,” or MCI. Now, MCI isn’t dementia, and it certainly isn’t Alzheimer’s — the condition it was actually approved to treat.
MCI is more like a gray area — and it can include some perfectly normal changes in memory, such as when you look all over for your keys only to find them right on the kitchen counter where you put them.
First, despite the fact that Aricept has become the drug most prescribed in treating Alzheimer’s, it’s pretty much proven to be a dud. It’s not even that effective in helping those who have Alzheimer’s.
In fact, the FDA actually let the cat out of the bag regarding Aricept SEVEN years ago. Hidden in a letter saying Aricept commercials were misleading and in violation of FDA advertising rules, there was yet another a key bit of information.
The agency said that the majority of patients from the drug’s original human trials “experienced no change or became worse on Aricept treatment.”
It’s even been “red-flagged” by a drug data company for causing sudden death, heart attacks, heart and lung failure, as well as a horrible brain disorder that can cause delirium and comas!
Seriously, I can’t even imagine how it wrangled an OK for that.
But that’s not the end of it. Following a 2005 federally-funded study to see if Aricept was effective for MCI, even the pharma-friendly FDA actually refused to approve it for that purpose!
Now, researchers at the UCLA School of Nursing recently took another look at that 12-year-old study. They found that when given for MCI, Aricept could actually speed up mental decline in individuals who carry a specific genetic variation.
The UCLA researchers published their findings in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease and immediately issued an “alert” to warn doctors and patients about the danger. Of course, you could get a genetic test done to find out if you carry this gene variation, but why in the world would anyone want to do that?
But the real question here is why anyone should be taking this drug.
Even if your doctor tells you that he’s sure you have MCI, that doesn’t mean you’re going to advance to dementia or Alzheimer’s — in fact, experts believe the condition can be reversed.
Plus that, there are plenty of ways to help your brain stay sharp.
For example:
- Getting regular exercise — like walking at least half an hour every day.
- Including plenty of “brain foods” in your diet — sources of omega 3 fatty acids, like wild-caught salmon, sardines, and other cold-water fish, as well as antioxidant-rich blueberries, avocados, and nuts.
- Getting a sufficient amount of vitamin D — from sun exposure, foods (such as the ones listed above) and from a supplement that provides a minimum of 2,000 IUs daily.
- Keeping your brain sharp with games, puzzles and other forms of mental exercise.
- Use coconut oil in cooking — and ditching unhealthy GMO corn and canola oil.
“Alzheimer’s drug prescribed ‘off-label’ for mild cognitive impairment could post risk for some” Laura Perry, February 23, 2017, UCLA Newsroom, newsroom.ucla.edu
