Exercise and massages ‘are more effective than DRUGS at tackling aggression and agitation in some dementia patients’
- Exercise, massages and touch therapies found to be more effective than drugs
- Believe treatments alleviate emotional and physical stress causing symptoms
- Controversial antipsychotics increase the risk of strokes and death in takers
Exercise may be more effective at treating dementia side effects than medication in some cases, a study suggests.
Researchers found patients who have symptoms of aggression as a result of the disorder responded better to outdoor activities than antipsychotic drugs.
Massages and touch therapy were also more effective than the controversial medications, thought to increase the risk of strokes and death.
Scientists believe exercise and therapies help alleviate the emotional and physical stress causing patients to act out, rather than numbing them with drugs.
But the team of academics, led by St Michael’s Hospital of Unity Health Toronto, warned that there was not a one-size-fits-all solution.
Exercise may be more effective at treating dementia than medication in some cases, researchers from St Michael’s Hospital of Unity Health Toronto found
Almost 44,000 dementia patients are prescribed antipsychotics each year in England – nearly one in ten of all patients registered with the illness.
That’s despite the Government promising to crack down on their use a decade ago over fears the powerful drugs were being over-prescribed.
Antipsychotics are given to patients to sedate them if they become agitated or aggressive. Around 75 per cent of all sufferers show these behavioural symptoms.
But usually there is a reason for them being upset – they may be in pain, uncomfortable or thirsty, but unable to express their emotions.
Medics currently treat patients with a mixture of drugs, exercise and therapies. But there has been little research pitting the treatments against one another to see which is more beneficial.
Researchers compared 163 clinical trials involving 23,143 dementia sufferers who showed symptoms including aggression and agitation.
Results showed exercise, massages, as well as touch and musical therapy were more effective than antipsychotics at treating the behavioural problems.
The findings are published in the medical journal Annals of Internal Medicine.
Antipsychotics are given to dementia patients to sedate them if they become agitated or aggressive.
But usually there is a reason for them being upset – they may be in pain, uncomfortable or thirsty, but unable to express their emotions.
Researchers have previously found that the medication is routinely given to residents in care homes to calm them down and stop them from wandering off.
The Department of Health promised to drastically reduce their use in 2009 as part of a national dementia strategy, which identified major failings in care.
One study linked antipsychotics to 1,800 premature deaths in the UK each year, while other research has shown they increase the risk of strokes by nine-fold.
There are roughly 850,000 people living with dementia in the UK and 5.8million in the US.
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: Alzheimer’s Society