The Connection Study is a confirmatory Phase 3 trial sponsored by Medivation, Inc., a US biopharmaceutical company dedicated to developing medicines for unmet medical illnesses.

Understanding Alzheimer’s diseaseUnderstanding Alzheimer’s disease

Alzheimer’s disease damages brain cells, causing problems with memory, thinking, and behavior. While sometimes forgetting things can be a normal part of aging, symptoms of Alzheimer’s are usually more noticeable, and they become worse or happen more often over time.

Today’s medications cannot prevent or reverse Alzheimer’s. There is a great need for patients to join clinical research studies to help develop medications for people with Alzheimer’s disease.

Warning signs of Alzheimer’s disease[1]

  • Memory loss
  • Difficulty performing familiar tasks
  • Problems with language
  • Forgetting where you are and how to get back
  • Poor or decreased judgment
  • Problems with abstract thinking, such as using numbers
  • Misplacing things
  • Changes in mood or behavior
  • Changes in personality
  • Loss of initiative or being very passive

 

Risk factors of Alzheimer’s disease

Advancing age is the greatest risk factor for Alzheimer’s, and the risk of developing Alzheimer’s roughly doubles every 5 years after age 65.[1] If you have a family history of Alzheimer’s disease, your risk may go up, especially if more than 1 family member has had the disease.[1]

While most Americans with Alzheimer’s are age 65 or older, younger people also sometimes develop Alzheimer’s disease.[2] About 5% of patients with Alzheimer’s have a genetic form of the disease that is found in a small number of families worldwide.[2] Serious head injury may also be a risk factor.[1]

It is estimated that approximately 1 in 8 baby boomers (10 million people[2]) will develop the disease. To learn more about Alzheimer’s disease, visit the Alzheimer’s Association online.

  1. Alzheimer’s Association. The Basics of Alzheimer’s Disease patient brochure. 2008. http://www.alz.org/alzheimers_disease_what_is_alzheimers.asp. Accessed March 26, 2008.
  2. Alzheimer’s Association. 2008 Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Figures report. http://www.alz.org/alzheimers_disease_facts_figures.asp. Accessed March 26, 2008.