Google has been accused of profiting from ‘false hope’ for dementia patients’ by running adverts for brain supplements which can cost £38 per month.
The search engine – the most visited website in the world – has reportedly charged between £1 and £3 per click for what experts have branded ‘pseudomedicine’.
‘Alzheimer’s pills’ and ‘dementia supplements’ have even been found listed higher than reliable information from charities, according to an investigation by The Times.
Dementia is, in reality, incurable and terminal but devastates the lives of millions of people around the world.
One expert said marketing unproven supplements as cures was ‘exploiting the vulnerable’ who may be desperate to help themselves or their loved ones.
The revelation comes a week after Google was fined £1.3billion by the EU for controlling online advertising. It was found to have a flaw in its photo-hosting website which could let hackers track someone’s location history and friendship circle.
Dementia is incurable, terminal and destroys the brain over time, leaving people with seriously damaged memory, muscle control and communication skills (stock image)
‘Receiving a dementia diagnosis can be devastating,’ The Alzheimer’s Society’s Fiona Carragher told The Times.
‘It’s unacceptable for companies to exploit people who are in a vulnerable position by trying to sell unproven treatments.
‘It’s incredibly concerning if people looking for information on dementia drugs aren’t receiving the right support or treatment.’
Dementia is a condition which may have one of a number of causes – most commonly Alzheimer’s disease – and leads to the gradual breakdown of the brain.
Nerves become destroyed over time and stop people’s memory and muscles working properly, and reduce their ability to understand or communicate.
It affects around 850,000 people in the UK, expected to rise to 1million by 2025.
One of the supplements reportedly being openly advertised on Google was a £38- per-month product which claimed to improve memory using ‘clinically studied whole-food ingredients’.
Another claimed it would help brain function based on science from more than 10,000 studies.
But the same products featured notes saying they are not actually designed to treat or prevent any diseases.
Dr Joanna Hellmuth, from the University of California, San Francisco, wrote about the supplements in an opinion piece in the Journal of the American Medical Association last month and called them ‘pseudomedicine’.
She said: ‘With neurodegenerative disease, the most common example of pseudomedicine is the promotion of dietary supplements to improve cognition and brain health.
‘This $3.2-billion [£2.4bn] industry promoting brain health benefits from high- penetration consumer advertising through print media, radio, television, and the internet.
‘No known dietary supplement prevents cognitive decline or dementia’.
And Dr Hellmuth added: ‘Indeed, supplements may cause harm, as has been shown with vitamin E, which may increase risk of hemorrhagic stroke, and, in high doses, increase risk of death.’
One of the supplements being advertised was Souvenaid, a £3.50-per-day drink claimed to help manage Alzheimer’s through the diet.
A clinical trial of the drink found it did not have any impact on dementia.
A spokesperson for its manufacturer, Nutricia, told The Times: ‘We recommend that Souvenaid is only used on the advice of a qualified healthcare professional, who can advise patients about its suitability for their circumstances.
‘We do not advertise this product direct to consumers and we do not advertise it on Google.’
Google has reportedly stopped selling adverts under the terms ‘Alzheimer’s pills’ and ‘dementia supplements’ and a spokesperson said: ‘We have strict policies that govern the kinds of ads we allow on our platform, and ads for products that offer “miracle cures” for medical ailments are a violation of those policies.
‘When we find ads that violate our policies, we remove them.’
Google was last week fined €1.49billion (£1.28bn) for having exclusivity clauses in its advertising contracts with third-party websites which host its search engine.
The European Union found it was reducing choice for both advertisers and consumers by elbowing out competitors.
A flaw in its photo hosting website was discovered last week which could have allowed hackers to track where users had been and who had tagged them in photos.
Researchers found a now-resolved issue with the website would malicious websites to details of when, when and with whom people’s photos were taken.
And the company came under fire last year for its algorithm suggesting ‘offensive’ ideas when auto-filling people’s searches.
An article by Wired in December revealed it suggested ‘Islamists are evil’ and ‘Islamists are not our friends’ when given the first half of the phrase.
WHAT IS DEMENTIA? THE KILLER DISEASE THAT ROBS SUFFERERS OF THEIR MEMORIES
Dementia is an umbrella term used to describe a range of neurological disorders
A GLOBAL CONCERN
Dementia is an umbrella term used to describe a range of progressive neurological disorders, that is, conditions affecting the brain.
There are many different types of dementia, of which Alzheimer’s disease is the most common.
Some people may have a combination of types of dementia.
Regardless of which type is diagnosed, each person will experience their dementia in their own unique way.
Dementia is a global concern but it is most often seen in wealthier countries, where people are likely to live into very old age.
HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE AFFECTED?
The Alzheimer’s Society reports there are more than 850,000 people living with dementia in the UK today, of which more than 500,000 have Alzheimer’s.
It is estimated that the number of people living with dementia in the UK by 2025 will rise to over 1 million.
In the US, it’s estimated there are 5.5 million Alzheimer’s sufferers. A similar percentage rise is expected in the coming years.
As a person’s age increases, so does the risk of them developing dementia.
Rates of diagnosis are improving but many people with dementia are thought to still be undiagnosed.
IS THERE A CURE?
Currently there is no cure for dementia.
But new drugs can slow down its progression and the earlier it is spotted the more effective treatments are.
Source: Dementia UK