Dr. Dale Bredesen is the author of The End of Alzheimer’s, a groundbreaking account of new research and remarkable reversals in cognitive decline that he has facilitated. In a recent interview (video) with Dr. Mark Hyman, he wrote, “My friend and scientist Dr. Dale Bredesen is at the forefront of changing the way we approach neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s. Dr. Bredesen’s research has led to new insights that explain the erosion of memory seen in Alzheimer’s disease and has opened the door to a new therapeutic approach which uses the power of Functional Medicine.”

The Doctor has developed the Bredesen Protocol (video), a cutting edge comprehensive program designed to reverse cognitive decline. In the course of his research, Dr. Bredesen has identified three different types of Alzheimer’s patients, depending upon their metabolic profiles. With the incidence of Alzheimer’s and other neurodegenerative diseases on the rise, there has been a renewed push to identify the causes and to develop new treatments. From his website we read:

“Cognitive decline is a major concern of the aging population, and Alzheimer’s disease is the major cause of age-related cognitive decline, with approximately 5.4 million American patients and 30 million affected globally[1]. In the absence of effective prevention and treatment, the prospects for the future are of great concern, with 13 million Americans and 160 million globally projected for 2050, leading to potential bankruptcy of the Medicare system. Unlike several other chronic illnesses, Alzheimer’s disease prevalence is on the rise, which makes the need to develop effective prevention and treatment increasingly pressing.”

Dr. Bredesen’s approach involved 25 different interventions which individually don’t make a big difference, but together can provide powerful synergistic benefits. Each intervention is tweaked over time by using blood tests, body measurements, imaging and similar guides to measure its effect. In his initial paper, nine out of ten patients reversed their memory problems and returned to their former healthy level of functioning. The one who didn’t show improvement was past the early stages of Alzheimer’s.

In 2012 Dr. Bredesen participated in an online series Awakening from Alzheimer’s that featured Peggy Sarlin interviewing leading experts such as Dr. Pamela Wartian Smith, David Perlmutter,  Mary Newport (video), and others. The series has been newly updated and released as a video and book of interview transcripts.