Immediate changes needed to Alzheimer's management, experts say

Physicians recognized for their contributions to clinical research and advances in the treatment of people with Alzheimer's have called for immediate changes to how healthcare professionals approach the management of the disease.

Experts are gathering in Toronto for the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference and a number of them have cited statistics showing a lack of diagnosis and of use of currently available prescription medicines. They have called for better education of primary care doctors to eliminate misconceptions as a critical first step to give people with Alzheimer's a fighting chance.

The physicians have also emphasized that drugs affecting the cholinergic system are the only treatments shown to have a positive impact on all stages of the disease – something established by two decades of clinical trials and real world observational studies as well as new research.