I work in contract research and my work life revolves around drug development. I should state that I think people should life the healthiest lifestyle that they can and avoid all drugs, if possible. That being said, people will sometimes need drugs for a number of reasons.

I've always thought Metformin was one of the better drugs - it's cheap and helps diabetics get glucose control, eventually allowing the more motivated patients to make lifestyle changes and wean off the drug.

Here is an in vitro study from 2009 showing that Metformin increased Alzheimer amyloid peptides.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2656178/

Metformin is helping in the area of glucose control, but might be allowing the diabetic patient to still over consume food, causing damage in areas of the brain - perhaps giving some credibility to concept of Alzheimer is diabetes of the brain.

I think the take-away from this study is to get glucose control and try to get off as many lifestyle medications as possible, with your doctor's help. When we take drugs that artificially improve our test results (cholesterol, trigs, glucose), there might be unintended consequences that have not yet been fully realized by the research community.

Madison: Did you ever read Confessions of a Medical Heretic. Talking to an old friend back East the other day, we were talking about our health issues and pharma drugs and supplements...she told me I'm the only one of her friends she can talk to about supplements and managing our health. I put her on to Armour thyroid about 10 yrs ago and then Vit D and then she went to work on research for herself. It took her a long time to find an MD who would work with Armour as the newer group of MD's coming out of med school are brainwashed by synthetic thyroid producers...long story there I've dug into.

She brought the book to my attention and then I looked it up on amazon. It's a 1979 book but info applies today.

Then I mentioned this book to a friend here and she read it when it came out .. I may buy a used version on alibris for $1something.

It's all about the Modern Medicine explosion. Good to hear your comments.

"When we take drugs that artificially improve our test results (cholesterol, trigs, glucose)..."

Madisongrrl, I think that this is an excellent point.

Clinical trials which are based on test results rely on what are called "surrogate outcomes". Pharmaceutical companies often use them because they are relatively cheap and quick but they can often be misleading.

The contrast is with a clinical trial which assesses "real-life outcomes", posing the question "Does this drug lead to reduced morbidity/mortality compared to control/placebo?"

Real-life outcome trials take longer and are more expensive. Personally I would never take a drug whose efficacy has not been supported by a well-designed real-life outcome clinical trial.

When I first learned that I "may be diabetic" in the early aughts and was put on metformin the issue was I did continue to eat as I was.

When I first dropped twenty pounds, my neuropathy started raging and my then primary seemed nonplussed I went free agent. I also decided to try and go without medication.

I tested often, as I had a lot of strips from when diligence was not my fortι. I was good for a few months, but for some reason I was never really able to parse out fluctuations began to occur, rather wild ones. My numbers were just getting too high.

So I went back on metformin. I bring up reducing it from time to time with my doc, given my results on blood work, bmi, the whole picture. That wild fluctuation stays with me, that and the fact that I am only able to get to where I am a1c wise with medication.

I am bringing this up next time, though.

Thanks for the link.

I have always felt that aside from Aspirin and some life sustaining drugs like thyroid hormone every drug would take a toll over the long term. For may though, the old "Quality of life" comes into play. Take the pill and be happy now and deal with the consequences later. When you are in enough pain it is not always the worst philosophy. I have never been able to embrace that though. As a parent, I worry about long term benefits. I have a lot I want to be able to see before I check out.

I haven't read this book, but I put it on my Amazon wishlist.

We have had a few family members with Alzheimer's and Dementia. My father was originally diagnosed with Huntington's Disease, but now his diagnosis has been changed to an "idiopathic neurological condition" or whatever nonsense his doctors came up with. He has strong elements of Dementia and he lacks emotional control. He is a handful for my mom.

I hope I draw the long straw and don't burden my family with this stuff.