Alzheimer’s disease is devastating. For those worried about the future of themselves and their family, promises of miracle cures for this form of dementia can be tempting — but they’re always too good to be true. Sadly, there is no cure for Alzheimer’s. Period.
Preying on the Hopeful
Dishonest companies take advantage of people willing to try anything to help with memory loss and decreasing cognition. Targeted ads advertise dietary supplements and ancient remedies purporting to cure Alzheimer’s, using outlandish phrases such as “ clinically shown to help disease of the brain such as Alzheimer’s and even dementia” (clearly written by a misinformed person– Alzheimer’s is one of several forms of dementia) . The Internet has made it easy for these companies to advertise to as many people as possible and seniors are being aggressively targeted.
FDA Alert
The FDA released an alert urging consumers to stay away from these “cures”, which are not tested by the FDA for safety and efficacy.
While many are marketed as safe dietary supplements, the FDA states that these products may indeed pose a danger on their own or via interaction with other medications.
Be sure to find a qualified geriatric psychiatrist or other qualified mental health professional if you are concerned about Alzheimer’s disease. Approved drugs exist that may be able to help slow the disease’s progression in certain cases. There are also physical and cognitive therapies which are focused on coping strategies or quality of life improvement.
Anyone claiming they can do anything else is selling you snake oil.
Practice Area Center: Consumer Fraud
Practice Area Category: FDA Alert