To print: Select File and then Print from your browser's menu --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Title: DG DISPATCH - ANA: Rivastigmine Helps Maintain Daily Functioning In Alzheimer's Patients URL: http://www.pslgroup.com/dg/139FD2.htm Doctor's Guide October 15, 1999
By Edward Susman Special to DG News
SEATTLE, WA -- October 15, 1999 -- A new study has found that the drug rivastigmine is effective in helping Alzheimer's disease patients to maintain activities of daily living, researchers said at the 124th annual meeting of the American Neurological Association meeting in Seattle, WA.
"Treatment with rivastigmine can enhance and sustain the ability to perform activities of daily life," said Dr. George Grossberg, professor of psychiatry at St. Louis University School of Medicine, in St. Louis MO.
In general, patients taking rivastigmine in this 26-week study were more likely to show improvement in activities of daily living than patients taking placebo medication, and fewer patients on rivastigmine showed a decline in function compared with those taking placebo, Grossberg reported in his poster presentation.
Among 36 percent of the patients on rivastigmine, there was a minimum of 10 percent improvement in the amount of time spent doing hobbies or being engaged in recreational pursuits. About 24 percent of patients on a placebo medication showed at least a 10 percent increase in this aspect of daily life. On the other hand, 47 percent of patients on rivastigmine showed a decrease in time spent on hobbies compared with 60 percent of those on placebo.
Grossberg reported on studies involving more than 2,000 patients - 1479 on rivastigmine and 647 on placebo.
"Contrary to the current assumption," Grossberg said, "patients with moderate to moderately severe Alzheimer's disease retain the capacity to respond to cholinergic therapy." --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Copyright © 1999 P\S\L Consulting Group Inc. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of P\S\L content is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of P\S\L. P\S\L shall not be liable for any errors, omissions or delays in this content or any other content on its sites, newsletters or other publications, nor for any decisions or actions taken in reliance on such content. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This news story was printed from *Doctor's Guide to the Internet* located at http://www.docguide.com --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Return to News Story Page This site is maintained by webmaster@pslgroup.com Please contact us with any comments, problems or bugs. All contents Copyright (c) 1998 P\S\L Consulting Group Inc. All rights reserved.