The evidence for high insulin levels contributing to Alzheimer's disease is so compelling, now conventional medicine wants to use oral anti-diabetes drugs like GlaxoSmith Kline's Avandia to prevent it. That makes about as much sense to me as using those very same drugs to treat diabetes. These drugs NEVER address the underlying cause and frequently cause more complications than they actually prevent.
Initial research found Avandia could help if the patient lacks the gene that promotes an aggressive case of Alzheimer's. The results have spurred a trio of clinical trials this summer to determine if the drug protects the brains of certain patients.
Of course, there are large volumes of money to be made here so you will see more and more of these ridiculous experiments that take full advantage of the typical American's desire to have a convenient "one-pill" solution for their diseases. And, all of it fueling hope to "cure" a disease that can be prevented by making some health-affirming lifestyle changes.
I was at a friend's wedding over the weekend and saw a pharmacist who brought her mother to my clinic. She had been convinced the statin drugs had been shown to reduce plaque and was in a conundrum about what to do with that information.
I explained that the point was absolutely irrelevant. Just because these drugs may lower cholesterol, or in the case of the story here, lower blood sugar or reduce the incidence of Alzheimer's, that does not justify their use. The primary reason is that they don't treat the cause. By ignoring the true cause of elevated insulin levels, which is usually due to insufficient exercise and too many grains and sugars, other diseases can occur.
In the case of statins, that is one of the reasons the rate of heart disease has declined, but it has only been replaced by an increase in the cause of cancer, which is also related to elevated insulin levels that are not properly treated.
This is a PERFECT example of the theme at the heart of the 7-minute online cartoon satire we produced, The Town of Allopath. If you haven't seen this video yet, please check it out.
USA Today May 1, 2006