The End of Memory

Alzheimer’s, called ‘the plague of the 21st century’ for its dramatic increase in numbers and the challenge it poses to health care. There are no effective treatments, merely a handful of drugs that promise only short-lived alleviation of symptoms.

Everyone has essentially the same three questions about Alzheimer’s: Will I get it? What can I do to lessen that risk, and If I do get it, what then?. These are important questions about vulnerability, taking action, the race for a treatment. The disease is mysterious, but seems even more mysterious than it is: why does it appear to be an unrolling epidemic? There’s more of us, and we’re older. The standard drug targets haven’t yielded anything yet. Maybe it’s time for a rethink.