Giving It Away If you'd like a free sample of Nymox I know where you can probably get one. Nymox is a cholesterol lowering statin drug. But Nymox boasts something that Lipitor and Zocor can't. Nymox holds the patent rights for the use of statins to prevent Alzheimer's disease. Of course, a doctor can prescribe any statin drug to address Alzheimer's, but the FDA allows only Nymox to make the CLAIM that it may help prevent or treat Alzheimer's. Last week I came across a news release stating that the sponsor of next month's Fourth Manhattan Alzheimer's Disease Conference will be - yep - none other than Nymox. I doubt that there will be candy bowls filled with Nymox on every countertop, but a complementary blister pack of Nymox shouldn't be TOO hard to come by. And if you're a doctor or a researcher who specializes in Alzheimer's, well I expect someone might be able to scare you up some Knicks tickets or a dinner at The Four Seasons - no problem! I'll give the folks at Nymox this: they're on the right track. Lowering cholesterol may reduce the risk of Alzheimer's disease. But to accomplish that, I certainly wouldn't recommend ANY of the statin drugs. Even if they're handing them out on street corners. In an e-Alert I sent you last year ("Clear As A Bell" 6/26/02), I told you about a Georgetown University Medical Center study that shed new light on the association between elevated cholesterol and the development of Alzheimer's disease. Previous research has suggested that high cholesterol levels may increase the levels of a certain protein that is abnormally processed by people with Alzheimer's disease. This abnormal processing sets off a chain reaction that causes a peptide to accumulate and form tangles that can kill brain cells. The Georgetown research shows that high cholesterol levels significantly increase the rate at which these tangles are formed. In addition, the researchers concluded that high cholesterol also increases the production of a different protein that transports cholesterol out of the cell. And while that's a normal function, in this situation it results in an unfortunate increase of free cholesterol, which has a toxic effect on nerve cells. So what can you do today to address the risk of Alzheimer's disease due to high cholesterol? To start with, a program of regular exercise can be an important step in keeping cholesterol levels in balance. Believe me - I know this is much easier said than done, but even a little exercise (such as a brisk 30 minute walk five times a week) can began to make a difference. In previous e-Alerts I've told you about natural supplements like grapefruit pectin and tocotrienol vitamin E that can help lower your total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol levels. Another promising supplement is an ancient Ayurvedic herb called arjuna, known to stimulate many functions that support the heart. Arjuna has also been proven to lower cholesterol as much as 12 percent in just 30 days. You can find more detailed information about arjuna at the web site for Himalaya USA (himalayausa.com). I've sent you several e-Alerts about the importance of managing homocysteine - including one in particular that I sent you last February with news about its relationship to Alzheimer's ("One Thing You Can do to Protect Yourself from Alzheimer's Starting Today" 2/19/02). Homocysteine is an amino acid that, like cholesterol, can be measured with a simple blood test. A large study from the Boston University School of Medicine revealed that a high homocysteine level can actually double your chance of developing Alzheimer's or some other form of dementia. The good news here is that supplements of vitamins B6, B12 and folic acid are effective in helping reduce your homocysteine level, and I'm sure you can find them at just about any store that carries supplements. If you or someone you love is concerned about Alzheimer's disease or showing symptoms, you should seek medical attention immediately. You've probably heard that Alzheimer's involves disorientation, forgetfulness and irrationality, but true Alzheimer's symptoms take those qualities to sometimes alarming extremes, such as putting common items in the wrong place, or wearing clothing that's inappropriate for a given situation. For the rest of us, as we head into the decades of our lives where the risk of Alzheimer's becomes a real factor, we now have new evidence that we can't ignore: a combination of exercise and the supplements that help lower cholesterol and homocysteine levels may be the safest and most direct route to a clear thinking mind later in life. Nymox? I'll pass on that one. Sources:
"Function of ?-Amyloid in Cholesterol Homeostasis: A Lead to Neurotoxicity"
Abstract P3-313, 2002 Annual Meeting of The Endocrine Society
Elevated levels of cholesterol play an even greater role in development of Alzheimer's, study shows" Press release, Georgetown University Medical Center
"Fourth Manhattan Alzheimer's Disease Conference on May 27 Sponsored by Nymox Will Feature World Class Assembly of Speakers and Panelists" Business Wire Press Release, 4/16/03 | 
