Ending Alzheimer’s!

There are an estimated five million Americans who have Alzheimer’s, and the cost for treating the disease continues to rise. In 2016 the costs for Alzheimer’s care had already reached about $236 billion, according to the Alzheimer’s Association. The number of Americans with the disease is expected to continue to increase in the years ahead. It’s estimated that it may cost the U.S. as much as $1.1 trillion by 2050.

Alzheimer’s impacts not just the patient, but the whole family. Family members become caregivers responsible for every aspect of their incapacitated loved one’s life. This is a disease which ruins many lives at once. There is no ‘cure’ for Alzheimer’s and the Alzheimer’s Association states that the medications available only offer temporary relief, “Currently, there are five FDA-approved Alzheimer’s drugs that treat the symptoms of Alzheimer’s — temporarily helping memory and thinking problems — with a sixth drug available globally. But these medications do not treat the underlying causes of Alzheimer’s.” (www.alz.org)

So, what can we do?

The good news is that an Alzheimer’s diagnosis does not have to be a death sentence! We believe that by balancing our patients’ diet, hormones, stress, supplements, exercise and risk factors we can improve the overall health and quality of life for Alzheimer’s patients. At Integrative Health Matters, we offer the Bredesen Protocol Wellness Program. This program was pioneered by Dr. Dale Bredesen, an internationally recognized neurologist and expert in Alzheimer’s disease.

The Bredesen Protocol is designed to look at the whole patient with an elaborate and personalized patient information collection system including:

extensive lab testing
Metabolic Blood Panels
health coaching
a combination of other services

An important part of the protocol is a range of dietary and nutritional interventions along with management of lifestyle, as well as supplements – which together require a trained nutrition professional to safely execute.

Dr. Bredesen found that gut health is key in the prevention and treatment of Alzheimer’s and other cognitive declines. A leaky gut and unbalanced microbiome doesn’t only affect the gut, it affects all of the body’s cells and organ systems. We know that leaky gut causes chronic inflammation and inflammation causes nearly all autoimmune diseases and chronic conditions. Factors such as diet, environmental toxins, metals inside the body, hormones, current medications, and other risk factors will be assessed by the IHM team and addressed in ways which benefit each individual.

Patients are not required to have been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, genetic predisposition to Alzheimer’s, or other cognitive conditions to participate in the Bredesen Protocol. This protocol can also be applied for preventative management of cognitive decline in individuals susceptible to Mild Cognitive Impairment who also have a family history of Alzheimer’s disease.

We believe that, together, we can start reversing the effects of Alzheimer’s and effectively end the disease one day!