New study aims at stopping Alzheimer’s Disease before it starts

DEAR ABBY: More than 10,000 baby boomers in the U.S. turn 65 every day, and enter the “age of risk” for Alzheimer’s disease. I have witnessed the devastating effects of this disease in my work as a neurologist, as a clinical researcher and, sadly, in my own family.

The good news is that we are now starting prevention trials to try to stop memory loss before it begins. The A4 (Anti-Amyloid Treatment in Asymptomatic Alzheimer’s) Study is the first clinical trial designed for people who have the earliest signs of Alzheimer’s disease beginning in the brain, but don’t yet have any symptoms of the disease. The A4 Study is enrolling healthy 65- to 85-year-olds across the country who may be at risk for memory loss due to Alzheimer’s disease.

I feel a new sense of hope, but we really need volunteers to join us. Our motto for the A4 Study is “Now is the time,” and now really is the time to make a difference in defeating Alzheimer’s disease.

I hope your readers who are interested will call (toll-free) 1-844-247-8839 or visit A4study. org to receive more information or to join us. – REISA SPERLING, M.D., PROJECT DIRECTOR, HARVARD MEDICAL SCHOOL

DEAR DR. SPERLING: I’m pleased to alert my readers to your clinical trial. Living to a “ripe old age” can be a mixed blessing because the older we get, the greater the likelihood of Alzheimer’s disease entering the picture.

Readers, Dr. Sperling is looking for subjects with a family history of Alzheimer’s disease or who, through prescreening, have been discovered to have amyloid plaques forming in the brain. There are more than 65 study sites throughout the U.S. and several in Canada, so you may be able to find a location near you.