Use of unproven therapies by people with Alzheimer's disease.
OBJECTIVE
To describe the use of unproven therapies for Alzheimer's disease.


METHODS
Descriptive survey using a written questionnaire.


METHODS
101 primary caregivers of people with Alzheimer's disease who attended Alzheimer's disease support group meetings.


RESULTS
Fifty-five percent of caregivers reported that they had tried at least one alternative therapy to improve the patient's memory. Twenty percent of caregivers tried three or more unproven therapies. Vitamins were used most frequently (84%), and health foods (27%), herbal medicines (11%), "smart pills" (9%), and home remedies (7%) were also tried. Most caregivers reported trying the therapies in the early stage of the illness and did not notice significant improvement in the patient's memory. Twenty-five percent of caregivers had tried unproven therapies for behavior problems. There was no correlation between the use of alternative therapies and the sex of the caregiver, age of the caregiver, level of caregiver frustration, presence of problem behaviors, or perceived level of physician support.


CONCLUSIONS
The use of unproven therapies by people with early Alzheimer's disease is common and cannot be predicted by characteristics of the primary caregiver. Although this use may be understandable, it exposes vulnerable people to possible side effects, increased costs, and possible exploitation. Health care workers should actively inquire about the use of alternative therapies, and explore the reasons behind their use, so that they can better understand and meet the needs of their patients and their caregivers.
Coleman
L M
LM
Program on Aging, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill 27599-7550, USA.
Fowler
L L
LL
Williams
M E
ME
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy*; D017028:Caregivers; D000529:Complementary Therapies / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008569:Memory Disorders / Q000209:etiology; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000209:etiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D012648:Self Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires