The PDF linked on this page is to an open access case report written up by Dr. Renee Hahn, DACM, L.Ac. Dr. Hahn demonstrates how use of Kan herbal formulas have aided patients with Alzheimer's disease. Kan thanks Dr. Hahn for showcasing these results, for advancing the research demonstrating the utility of TCM herbs, and for generously paying for this paper in Advanced in Integrative Medicine to be free for all readers. We share this for the benefit of the practitioner community.
Case report's conclusion: Currently, there is no effective biomedical treatment for AD or other types of dementias. The positive outcome of the use of TCM on the NPS of this elderly patient with AD points to the need for clinicians treating this population to think outside the box and become aware that CHM and acupuncture are viable, safe treatments. TCM could be considered a mainstay treatment for NPS and utilized to slow down the progression of AD and related diseases such as CHD [30]. This case study presents the successful results for the treatment of the NPS of agitation, anxiety, apathy, insomnia, and depression in a patient with AD using acupuncture, Chinese herbal formulas and western herbs. It can serve as a reference for other practitioners treating AD, other types of dementias, and NPS. The patient achieved significant, chartable resolution of agitation and other manifestations such as aggression, pain, daily weeping, and anxiety. This elderly patient was able to live out the final 2 years and 9 months of her life without experiencing the continual distress of the first three years of her AD diagnosis, when she was being treated only with pharmaceuticals and behavioral techniques, which were not beneficial.