Best treatments for alzheimer disease

Understanding alzheimer disease

Alzheimer's disease is a brain disorder that slowly destroys memory and thinking skills and, over time, the ability to carry out the simplest tasks. It is the most common cause of dementia among older adults, and in most people symptoms first appear later in life (NIA). In the brain, abnormal clumps called amyloid plaques and tangled fibers called tau (neurofibrillary) tangles build up, and neurons lose connections with one another and eventually die (NIA). Trouble remembering recent events or names is often an early sign; the disease begins slowly over many years and progresses in stages, later bringing difficulty speaking, reading, or writing, getting lost in familiar places, and changes in mood and behavior, until a person may eventually need total care (MedlinePlus). To evaluate it, doctors ask about health and daily activities, test memory, problem-solving, attention, and language, run blood and other standard tests to help rule out other causes, and may use brain scans such as CT, MRI, or PET (NIA). No treatment can stop the disease, but some medicines may help ease symptoms for a limited time (MedlinePlus). This is general information, not medical advice.

Frequently asked

What treats alzheimer disease?

Our catalog lists 10 products that may treat alzheimer disease, based on NIH RxClass (MED-RT “may treat”) drug-classification data — not the verbatim FDA label. They're rated where FDA recall-safety data exists; the current top-rated option is donepezil hydrochloride.

What is the best-rated treatment for alzheimer disease?

By our independent recall-safety rating — not an efficacy measure — donepezil hydrochloride ranks highest among the products we list for alzheimer disease. Always consult a professional.

How are these treatments ranked?

By our independent score, currently based on FDA regulatory recall-safety data (the methodology blends additional sources as they come online). See the How we rate page.

What types of drugs treat alzheimer disease?

Treatments for alzheimer disease span FDA drug classes including cholinesterase inhibitor, monoamine oxidase inhibitor, monoamine oxidase type b inhibitor, n-methyl-d-aspartate receptor antagonist. Compare every option side by side, ranked by independent rating, above.

Treatment associations are derived from NIH RxClass (MED-RT “may treat”) drug-classification data — not the verbatim FDA label. This is general reference, not medical advice — always consult a licensed professional.