Quote:
Originally Posted by Villages PL
I responded to an ad in the Daily Sun that was looking for healthy people at least 65 years of age. I thought the study would be about lifestyle where they compare one group with another.
But I got a call yesterday and found out that they will be testing a drug. It will likely be a double-blind study with half the group taking a placebo and half taking the active ingredient. It's not intended to be a cure but to see if it helps to forestall dementia.
I have an appointment to get a blood test to see if I have a gene for Alzheimer's. Only those who have such a gene will be accepted into the study.
I'm not sure I want to know whether I have the Alzheimer's gene or not. Having an Alzheimer's gene does not mean one will necessarily get Alzheimer's. If I have such a gene I will likely be persuaded to take medication which will have some sort of side effect. So I may end up doing more harm than good.
Should I go for the blood test? What would you do?
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It is an individual choice on doing the study and has been discussed on previous posts. I'm interested in knowing if it is a study with the use of medication vs placebo is sanctioned by the Alzheimer's Association (alz.org) or a drug company. I'm rather surprised the Alzheimer's Association would advertise in a news paper when there are thousands of people that volunteer on their site to help with a cure. Not all require the use of medication.