The Bredesen Protocol
There are
some striking realities currently with Alzheimer’s disease. The population affected by it is growing
rapidly, it progresses fairly quickly causing large amounts of disability and
even at huge expense, the available treatments up to this point have done
little to lessen symptoms and nothing to slow or stop the process.
The last
point above is discussed succinctly by one of the most innovative researchers
in this area, Dale Bredesen, M.D. He
states that of the 244 drugs that have been developed and stuied, 243 have
failed to produce any benefit. The one
that has shown some positive result only lessens symptoms temporarily and does
not alter the progressive decline seen with this disease.
This
disappointment was a factor in a number of researchers looking at a different
approach to the disease. One of them has
been Dr. Bredesen who has developed a comprehensive treatment program that has
produced strikingly different results.
The program was driven by several factors:
While a
portion of the risk of developing the disease is genetically mediated, an
equally large portion of the risk is related to lifestyle factors. This is the classic “nurture versus nature”
discussion about how chronic disease develops.
Extensive research relating to almost all chronic diseases has shown
that it is both nature/genetics and nurture/lifestyle.
An immense
body of research has established relationships between lifestyle such as eating
and exercising habits. There is also
strong correlation between other lifestyle related diseases such as type II
diabetes and Alzheimer’s risk. Those
with type II diabetes have a doubling of their risk of developing Alzheimer’s. The associated risk is so supported by data
that several prominent researchers have dubbed Alzheimer’s as “type III
diabetes,” or diabetes of the brain.
With the
extensive association of Alzheimer’s risk with modifiable lifestyle related
factors it was a natural step to transition to exploring the modification of
these factors in the prevention and treatment of Alzheimer’s disease. These factors may include omega-3 fatty acid
intake, diet, intake of specific vitamins and minerals and many others. Most have shown a moderate relationship with
positive prevention and treatment effects.
The key
point that was understood and explored in developing the Bredesen Protocol was that the disease does not stem from any one factor but
from the co-existence of multiple factors in the same person. Similarly, an effective treatment protocol
must examine a broad group of related factors in each patient and target treatment
on all of them as the “sum is more than the pieces”. Dr. Bredesen describes the process as a barn
roof with 36 holes (the number of observed possible risk factors to date). The current drug approach to treatment is
asking which one hole do you want to plug when it is raining to try to stay
dry. His answer is all of them. The typical patient may have a collection of
20 factors and the exact collection is unique to each patient. Treatment is similarly targeted specifically
to each patient.
The protocol
involves extensive testing to identify which factors may be involved in a given
patient. Once that is done, specific
interventions with diet, nutritional supplements, exercise, sleep modification
and indicated medical interventions such as hormone therapy are used
concurrently. Practitioners using the
protocol have access to a comprehensive software analysis of the collected data
developed by Dr. Bredensen and his research team called “ReCode” which will
guide a precise treatment process.
The real question is, however, what
have been the results with the Bredesen Protocol? In a published small study of his early results 90% success has
been obtained in not only stopping the progression of the disorder but
reversing the effects of it in properly selected patients. A second study details more completely the degree
of recovery seen with the protocol.
The success
has been primarily with all phases through mild and early/moderate Alzheimer’s. Once the disease is at moderate to severe,
high levels of success diminish greatly.
This phase corresponds to extensive loss of brain volume or size and
more severe interference in the ability to perform normal daily activities. Specific brain performance tests are used in
diagnosis which helps to isolate the degree of functional loss that has
occurred helping with the treatment prognosis.
The Bredesen
Protocol is in the earlier stages of development and clinical use. The results, however, have been striking in a
disease with an otherwise dim outlook.
Larger trials are continuing with other institutions including at the
Cleveland Clinic. While the larger
clinical trials will be helpful in expanding the use of this protocol over the
next decade, as it is now, it remains perhaps the brightest hope for current
patients.
