Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide [ NADH] For Alzheimer's Disease
   Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, commonly abbreviated as NADH, is an important
compound found in all living cells. NADH is very important in the generation and
transmission of energy within cells. NADH is located in mitochondria, which
generate energy for cellular use. Some researchers believe that alterations in
mitochondria may be the cause of alzheimer's disease. Jorg
Birkmayer,M.D.believes that NADH may work improperly in alzheimer patients. He
tested his theory by giving 17 alzheimer patients 10 milligrams of NADH daily,
30 minutes before the first meal. He used the Mini Mental State Exam as one
measure of cognitive ability in patients. The results were spectacular. All 17
patients showed improvements on the MMSE of more than 4 points; the average
score increased by 8.35 points! The results do seem spectacular,when you
consider the kind of results reported by cholinesterase inhibitors.
Cholinesterase inhibitors generally improve MMSE scores by more than 4 points in
about one-third of patients. Dr.Birkmayer reported his study in 1996 [128]; a
recent small trial of NADH, by other researchers, found no benefit of NADH for
alzheimer patients.