Can Axona help prevent Alzheimer’s Dementia? Part 2

So where does the consumer stand with Axona?

There have been numerous dietary substances hyped up to cure or prevent dementia and none has so far proven to be effective. AD is a complex disorder with numerous physiological and neurological changes. Inability to utilize glucose by brain cells is just one more hypothesis. Now we have axona and its ketone building properties. If high levels of ketone were the panacea for treating dementia, then all type 1 diabetics would never develop dementia and this is not true at all. In fact, diabetics have one of the highest rates of dementia and other cognitive problems—so the ketone theory is hogwash. Secondly, high levels of ketones can cause very unpleasant symptoms. Thirdly, despite Axona being available on the market for some time, very little has been reported about it. There are only anecdotal reports by a few individual who seem to have reported improved symptoms after taking axona. There is not a single patient whose dementia has completely reversed when taking axona.

More disturbing is that many individuals in the study were also allowed to continue their current AD medications and their diets were not altered in anyway. This makes it impossible to know what actually caused the mild improvement in these patients.

Further, many studies on axona have been sponsored by the company that manufactures the product –a conflict of interest is a major issue. Cardiologists claim that ingesting a saturated fatty acid like caprylic acid, on a daily basis can clog up blood vessels and induce heart attacks. The Food and Drug Administration claims that it does not know if Axona works, only that it is safe to consume and that it aims to correct a recognized nutritional deficiency.

Even though the company has made a lot of hype about Axona, none of the clinical studies has been published in reputable clinical medical journals where the work can be critiqued and analyzed. Axona does not come cheap either. A month’s supply is about $80 and requires a prescription. That is about $1000 a year.

Final Point

Axona is just another food product that is being promoted to treat AD. In reality, it is still too early to develop axona mania yet. Finally remember, the field of medical foods and health supplements is not innocuous especially when one looks back at recent data on weight loss products. Moreover, it looks like Axona is no different- a lot of false promises and disappointments is what most people will get. Until more is acknowledged about this medical food, Alzheimer’s Association does not advocate use of Axona for treatment of AD.

http://www.alzheimersweekly.com/Treatment/introducing-axona-a425.html
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