Researchers may be closer than ever to finding a way to prevent Alzheimer's Disease.
Healthy men and women, 60-75-year-olds without memory problems but have had family members with dementia, are being asked to potentially participate in the Alzheimer's Prevention Initiative's national Generation Program.
Cheek swabs will show if they have genetic markers tied to Alzheimer's Disease. Those who do, could be placed into a blind study.
Some will be given a medication Miami-Dade Medical Research Institute's Dr. Maria Paricio says is well-tolerated and could potentially prevent the disease. The blind study would have others taking a placebo.
She says sometimes it's difficult asking participants to take a medication: "I understand that it's probably the most difficult part because you're taking something that you think that you don't need."
She adds, "not everybody who has dementia has the gene, and not everybody who has the gene will have dementia. That is the difficult part that we have to try to solve through good research."
Dr. Paricio calls this research exciting because, "so far, it's the first study that we have about prevention."
The trial is slated to last five to eight years.
The study sites in the Miami area include:
Miami-Dade Medical Research Institute
University of Miami
Mt. Sinai Medical Center
New Horizon Research Center
Infinity Clinical Research LLC
Quantum Laboratories
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