WASHINGTON (AP) — Scientists will be testing therapies that could protect people who are susceptible to Alzheimer's disease but are not yet showing symptoms of dementia.
One international study announced Tuesday will track whether an experimental drug can stall the disease in people who appear healthy but are genetically destined to get a type of Alzheimer's that runs in the family. If so, the results could be evidence that regular Alzheimer's is also preventable.
A second study will test whether a nasal spray that sends insulin to the brain helps people with very early memory problems, based on separate research linking diabetes to an increased risk of Alzheimer's.
Researchers note that Alzheimer's starts ravaging the brain at least a decade before memory problems appear.
"Once the train leaves the station of degeneration, it might be too late to stop it," Dr. Reisa Sperling of Harvard Medical School said. "We need to define the critical window for intervention."
