New drug holds out hope for old-age disorder

By Our Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD, JAN. 12. A new generation drug used for curing Alzheimer's disease, which afflicts nearly 5 per cent of people above 65 years of age, now holds out hope to patients suffering from dementia with lewy bodies (DLB), the second most common form of mental aberration, characterised by severe behavioural disturbances.

A study conducted on 120 patients with DLB, a sub-group of Alzheimer's disease, in England showed that patients treated with `rivastigmine', a cholinesterase enzyme inhibitor, had significant reduction in core psychiatric symptoms of DLB. They had less anxiety, less apathy and fewer hallucinations and delusions than patients put on a placebo.

Dr. Ravi Anand, Executive Director and Global Head, Central Nervous System, Novartis Pharmaceuticals of the United States, told reporters here today that the study published in the prestigious Lancet Journal in December last showed that 63 per cent of patients on `Exelon' (brand name of the drug) had significant reduction in symptoms. It would be another six months before the Food and Drugs Administration of the US approves it for prescription to DLB patients.

The DLB is characterised by symptoms like visual hallucinations, dementia, wild fluctuations in behaviour, loss of consciousness and frequent falls. The cortex in brain, responsible for higher level activities, gets affected in this disease because the lewy bodies are spread all over it. The likelihood of being afflicted by DLB keeps on increasing with age.

Meet on family medicine

A national conference on family medicine, first of its kind in the country, is being organised jointly by the Royal College of General Practitioners of the United Kingdom, and the Apollo Hospitals group here on February 10 and 11.

Family medicine, considered the gateway to health care and the most sought after speciality abroad, has not received its due place in India leading to overemphasis on super-specialisation often resulting in unnecessary diagnosis and increasing costs.

This conference will address these issues and create a forum for family physicians to discuss curriculum, care and research. About 500 delegates are expect to attend.

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