DISEASES AND DISORDERS

• INTRODUCTION

• Anemia

• Angina Pectoris

• Aortic Aneurysm

• Aortic Dissection

• Aortic Valve Insufficiency

• Aortic Valve Stenosis

• Arteriosclerosis - Hardening of the Arteries

• Arthritis

• Atrial Ectopic Beats

• Atrial Fibrillation

• Atrial Flutter

• Atrial Septal Defect

• Cocaine Abuse

• Congestive Heart Failure

• Coronary Heart Disease

• Dementia Medication

• Diabetes

• Heart and Lung Transplant

• Heart Attack

• Heart Rhythm Disorders

• Heartburn

• Hiatal Hernia

• High Blood Pressure

• High Cholesterol

• Mitral Valve Prolapse

• Peripheral Vascular Disease

• Phlebitis

• Raynaud Phenomenon

• Renal Cell Cancer

• Sepsis (Blood Infection)

• Subungual Hematoma

• Supraventricular Tachycardia

• Tetralogy of Fallot

• Varicose Veins

• Venous Insufficiency

• Ventricular Aneurysm

• Ventricular Ectopic Beats

• Ventricular Septal Defect

• Ventricular Tachycardia

• Vesicoureteral Reflux

Dementia Medication

Most diseases that cause dementia are progressive, which means that persons with the disease get worse over time. Unfortunately, no curative treatment for dementia is currently available. Some medications, however, can temporarily improve symptoms and functioning and may slow the progression of the basic disease process.

Efforts to find effective drug therapy for dementia have frustrated scientists. Many drugs used for dementia are limited by side effects, short duration of action, and the need for frequent monitoring of blood levels or other laboratory values to prevent toxicity. Many assessment tools have been used to measure the effectiveness of dementia drugs, but effectiveness remains difficult to evaluate.

Additionally, an enormous amount of dementia-related treatment information from a wide variety of sources is directed to consumers, including information on medications, herbal products, diet, exercise, and nutrition. The vast amount of material and its sometimes-questionable reliability make it difficult to distinguish fact from rumor. Despite these difficulties, researchers continue to search for drugs with improved effectiveness and better tolerability.

Medical Treatment

Medical treatment is directed toward treating dementia, improving coexisting behavioral changes (for example, psychosis, anxiety, depression), and evaluating the benefit of other therapeutic interventions.