In November 2016, new figures from the Office for National Statistics showed that dementia is now the leading cause of death in England and Wales, replacing ischaemic heart disease. It is the leading cause for women and overall, heart disease remains the leading cause for men.
To-date drugs for dementia have failed to make any real, lasting difference, other than perhaps some short term symptom improvement.
On the other hand, work in the United States is showing promising results – Professor of Neurology, Dale Bredesen, who has spent his life in Alzheimer’s research has developed The Bredesen ProtocolTM with which he has, so far, reversed symptoms of diagnosed Alzheimer’s or ‘mild cognitive impairment’ in more than 90% of the 140 patients he has worked with. Professor Bredesen is a globally respected scientist in the field of brain decline and neurological disease and has over 200 peer reviewed papers. There are also a number of independent studies looking at single aspects of Professor Bredesen’s programme – diet, sleep, exercise etc and each has shown benefit to brain health. In addition, the mechanisms by which the protocol supports brain health are understood. The Institute for Functional Medicine is now training doctors in the USA and other countries to use his protocol in clinical practice. It is also in the process of setting up further independent research using the protocol at the Cleveland Clinic.
Cytoplan, a UK food-based nutritional supplement company, first met with Professor Bredesen in 2015 and was excited by his research and results in the USA. Cytoplan is wholly owned by a charitable foundation, The Aim Foundation, and with its assistance is working to help bring Professor Bredesen’s work to the UK – one of the ways we are doing this is through Action Against Alzheimer’s, a programme we have developed based on the diet and lifestyle elements of The Bredesen ProtocolTM.
The AIM Foundation is funding a research project at an independent University in the UK. This is currently in its early stages with a review of relevant literature being undertaken ahead of a clinical trial.