Seltzer B
Alzheimer's Disease and Memory Disorders Center, Department of Psychiatry and Neurology, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA.
J Int Med Res. 2006 Jul-Aug;34(4):339-47. doi: 10.1177/147323000603400401.
Alzheimer's disease is a neurodegenerative disease that greatly affects the quality of life of patients and their caregivers and places a heavy cost burden on the healthcare system. The cholinesterase inhibitors (ChEIs) donepezil, rivastigmine and galantamine have a central role in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease in the mild to moderate stages. Clinical trials with ChEIs have demonstrated therapeutic benefits for symptoms of cognition, function and behaviour across the disease course. These agents are most effective when started early in the disease course and used persistently, without treatment gaps. Early recognition of Alzheimer's disease and a global evaluation of treatment effectiveness are therefore essential. This article identifies barriers to early recognition and effective care of patients with Alzheimer's disease and discusses practical strategies to overcome them.
阿尔茨海默病是一种神经退行性疾病，极大地影响患者及其照料者的生活质量，并给医疗保健系统带来沉重的成本负担。胆碱酯酶抑制剂（ChEIs）多奈哌齐、卡巴拉汀和加兰他敏在轻度至中度阿尔茨海默病的治疗中发挥着核心作用。ChEIs的临床试验已证明在整个病程中对认知、功能和行为症状具有治疗益处。这些药物在病程早期开始使用并持续使用、无治疗中断时最为有效。因此，早期识别阿尔茨海默病以及对治疗效果进行全面评估至关重要。本文确定了阿尔茨海默病患者早期识别和有效护理的障碍，并讨论了克服这些障碍的实用策略。
