Lake Worth facility to conduct Alzheimer's study

Sept. 30--With each passing year, the health care industry edges ever closer to a tsunami it's been fearing awhile: that of more Alzheimer's patients than the system can handle.

A decade from now, more than 25 percent of the country -- some 80 million-plus Americans -- will be 60 or older.

With an estimated 5.2 million folks in the U.S. currently suffering from Alzheimer's, some projections have that figure growing to more than 7 million by the end of the next decade -- and more than tripling by 2050.

And Palm Beach County -- where Alzheimer's expert Dr. David Watson says 50,000 residents have been diagnosed with the condition, and anywhere from 60,000 to 75,000 are likely in the early, undiagnosed stages -- is directly in the disease's cross hairs.

Watson, a neuropsychologist who has lost several family members to Alzheimer's, says, "I've dedicated my life and career to finding a cure for this horrible disease."

Alzheimer's Research and Treatment Center

That's why he founded the nonprofit Alzheimer's Research and Treatment Center, a Lake Worth facility where patients are tested, counseled and treated free of charge.

"We make the atmosphere here unlike that of a typical doctor's office," Watson says. "We take as much time as patients want and need, so that they, and their loved ones, feel comfortable."

The full work-up patients undergo includes cognitive testing, memory testing and other measurements of brain health.

"We have a lot people come in who aren't yet experiencing any noticeable symptoms," Watson says. "They undergo testing so we can establish a baseline for them," Watson explains.

What makes the center unique, though, is Watson's vast experience with clinical trials for potential Alzheimer's medications.

"I've been a Certified Clinical Trial Investigator for more than 20 years," says Watson, 45.

Before any new medication is approved by the Food and Drug Administration, it undergoes rigorous clinical testing to ensure that it's safe, effective and doesn't duplicate a drug already available.

Watson says that, at any given time, he'll have eight to 10 Alzheimer's-medication trials going on.

These investigational drugs, he says, have been mostly aimed at "modifying the disease after diagnosis."

Medication to prevent Alzheimer's

Watson has been entrusted by the FDA to oversee Palm Beach County's participation in the TOMORROW Study -- which is testing to see whether an FDA-approved diabetes drug can also prevent the onset of Alzheimer's.

Here's what Watson and participants who qualify for the study will be testing: 1) whether a new genetic biomarker, TOMM40, is an additional indicator of a patient's elevated risk of developing Alzheimer's; and 2) whether pre-emptive use of the Type 2 diabetes medication, pioglitazone, inhibits the development of Alzheimer's in otherwise healthy subjects.

The thinking is that the anti-inflammatory properties of pioglitazone can protect the brains of those who may be at higher risk for developing Alzheimer's from actually getting the disease.

The folks Watson selects -- who must be between the ages of 65 and 83 and exhibiting no signs of cognitive impairment -- will undergo genetic blood testing for both TOMM40 and APOE (a biomarker that previous studies have shown suggests an increased Alzheimer's predisposition).

Those participating in the controlled, double-blind study -- which is scheduled to last five years -- will ingest a single daily dose of the oral medication. Watson will then compile data on the test subjects via follow-up phone conversations and annual in-person checkups.

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