Anti-Yeast Drug Used For Alzheimer's

Researchers found that clioquinol can almost stop the progression of Alzheimer’s disease. They believed that by absorbing the copper and zinc atoms that concentrate in the brains of Alzheimer's sufferers, clioquinol could stop the onset of dementia before it starts.

The finding came from a study conducted on 26 Alzheimer’s sufferers; half were given clioquinol while the other 13 were given a placebo. Researchers studied all 26 patients over a nine-month period of time and found that patients given the clioquinol retained more mental capacity than those who received the placebo. Research also showed patients who were given clioquinol had a 1.4 percent decrease in their mental capacity, whereas patients who were given the placebo had an 8.9 percent decrease in their mental capacity.

The study suggests that before dementia sets in in the brains of Alzheimer’s sufferers, clioquinol could prevent zinc from building up on the surface of the brain by absorbing the mineral’s atoms. The results of the study show that clioquinol could treat patients with Alzheimer’s twice as well as the latest Alzheimer’s drugs that are available.

Clioquinol has been around for 100 years and is currently used to treat athlete’s foot, ear infections and indigestion.

Archives of Neurology December, 2003;60(12):1685-91