Alzeimer’s Disease Awareness Month
For many, November is known for Thanksgiving, Veterans Day, and Black Friday, but the month of November also happens to be National Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness Month. This month is meant to bring awareness to the serious, often deadly brain disorder. It has a long history in the United States and according to the Alzheimer’s Association, a non-profit organization, it is the sixth leading cause of death in the United States.
As of now, Alzheimer’s disease does not have a known cure, but that could change. China has emerged as the leader in developing a treatment for the disease. This comes in the form of a drug that could be a major first step in discovering a long-anticipated cure. On November 5, 1994, former president of the United States, Ronald Reagan, announced to the country in a letter called “My Fellow Americans”, that he was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease. In 1983, Reagan announced that the month of November would be recognized as National Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness Month. Alzheimer’s Disease was not a widely known issue, since it only affected a small number of people in the U.S. at the time and not much was known about it due to limited technology and medical advancements.
The disease was first discovered in 1906 by Doctor Alois Alzheimer, who noticed that one of his patients, Auguste Doctor, suffered severe memory loss and died from an unknown mental illness. His discovery of the disorder gave a name to the mysterious disease and showed how the disorder destroys the brain by disconnecting and killing nerves and brain cells. Reagan’s speech led to increased research efforts.
For decades, the search for a cure for Alzheimer’s Disease has often ended in failure, as it can be difficult to understand how the disease progresses and how to prevent it. Symptoms of Alzheimer’s Disease include memory loss and language and behavioral issues that interfere with everyday life. Patients over the age of 65 have the greatest risk of dying from the disease. Overtime, the disease worsens and patients who have been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s are only expected to live for a few years following their diagnosis. Certain treatments do exist that are meant to slow down the progression of the disease, but due to limited success from a research standpoint, the search for a cure has slowed down significantly until recently.
On November 3, 2019, researchers from China have developed a drug called Oligomanant. The drug is made from seaweed, which has a sugar content that may improve cognitive function. Although there is much research still to be done on the effects of the drug, it is set to hit Chinese markets before 2020. So far, the drug is known to help create a connection with nerve cells to the brain by reducing the amount of harmful proteins and connecting with microbiome, which helps good bacteria get around in the brain.
The drug has sparked interest in countries like the United States and the United Kingdom and has been approved by the Chinese government. It has been proven to be effective when tested on patients with early signs of Alzheimer’s. Questions remain regarding the possible side effects of the drug and no further details have been released. Oligomanant is expected to undergo a series of trials before it can hit markets overseas. Until then, the public is yet to know if the truly effective in terms of curing the disorder once and for all.
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