Lipoic acid for Alzheimer's disease

AD affects a growing number of elderly people. At the moment, the most widely used medications (acetylcholinesterase inhibitors) deliver only symptomatic benefits. LA treatment has been shown to reduce markers of oxidative stress and to improve cognitive function in aged animals. The promising results found for combined omega-3 fatty acid and LA supplementation in the double-blind RCT and for LA alone in the open trial in delaying cognitive decline warrant further investigation of LA in combination with other anti-inflammatory compounds for the treatment of AD. Further research should include longer studies, conducted with patients in different stages of the disease.