Can Lifestyle Changes Reverse Early-Stage Alzheimer's Disease

Summary

The objective of this study is to determine if comprehensive lifestyle changes may slow, stop, or reverse the progression of early-stage Alzheimer's disease.

Conditions

• Alzheimer Disease

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Lifestyle medicine

Diet: A low fat (10-15%) whole foods vegan diet, high in complex carbs and low in refined carbs (fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, soy, seeds \& nuts). Calories unrestricted. Multivitamin, fish oil, curcumin, vitamin C, B12, CoQ10, lion's mane, probiotic, and magnesium. 21 meals/week and supplements provided to participants and caregivers at no cost to them. Exercise: Aerobic (e.g., walking) and strength training 30 minutes/day based on a personalized prescription from an exercise physiologist or certified personal trainer and registered nurse. Stress Management: Meditation, gentle yoga-based poses, progressive relaxation, breathing exercises, and meditation (with optional glasses) 1 hour per day, supervised by a certified stress management specialist. Group Support: Participants and their spouses/caregivers participate in a support group one hour/session, 3 days/week, supervised by a licensed mental health professional in a supportive, safe environment.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of California, San Francisco

  collaborator OTHER

• Harvard Medical School (HMS and HSDM)

  collaborator OTHER

• University of California, San Diego

  collaborator OTHER

• The Cleveland Clinic

  collaborator OTHER

• Renown Health

  collaborator OTHER

• Preventive Medicine Research Institute

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Dean Ornish, MD · President, Preventive Med Res Inst; Clinical Prof Medicine UCSF

• Catherine Madison, MD · Chief Neurologist, Preventive Medicine Research Institute

• Rudolph E Tanzi, PhD · Co-Director, McCance Center for Brain Health, Harvard Medical School/Mass General Hospital

• Steven E. Arnold, MD · Director, Alzheimer's Clinical and Translational Research Unit, Harvard Medical School/Mass General Hospital

• Jonathan Rosand, MD · Kistler Endowed Chair in Neurology, Harvard Medical School/Mass General Hospital

• Douglas Galasko, MD · Professor of Neurology, University of California, San Diego

• David A Sinclair, PhD · Co-Director, Paul Glenn Labs for the Biology of Aging, Harvard Medical School

• Jonathan Artz, MD · Renown Health Institute of Neurosciences

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

SINGLE

Model

CROSSOVER

Eligibility

Min Age

45 Years

Max Age

90 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2018-09-08

Primary Completion

2023-09-30

Completion

2023-09-30

Countries

• United States

Study Locations