Nicotine Has Potential In Alzheimer’s Therapy
There have been rumors flying around or a decade or so that the addictive component of the tobacco plant might be able to serve the purpose of staving off Alzheimer’s in those susceptible to the disease. Although this might sound like wishful thinking on the part of the cigarette manufacturers it now looks as if there could be some truth in it. With an increasing number of us living to a ripe old age and therefore more likely to develop this condition it’s a scientific discovery which could have a profound effect on a massive number of people if suitable therapies can be brought to market.
My interest in nicotine as a Alzheimer’s treatment was reignited when I recently can across an article in science daily which claims this natural drug can reduce the side effects of medication. An new and promising drug with is though could be helpful in treatment was unfortunately found to produce schizophrenia and memory loss, but it’s believed nicotine latches on to specific receptors in the brain which could elevate these symptoms.
Other benefits of using nicotine seem to show it can help patients with their concentration and can be a boost to the short term memory, certainly something which holds promise for the future.
These reports of the benefits of nicotine definitely don’t mean we should all start smoking in the off chance our minds might work a little better in the future, but it is important that more research is carried out to discover if we can develop strategies to reduce the effects of this debilitating disease. Perhaps in the future doctors will be prescribe nicotine patches and products like smokeless electronic cigarettes to actually improve the health of their patients.
Category: Alzheimers
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