Fighting Alzheimer’s is proving more difficult by the day, as the merciless disease has become the sixth cause of death in America. Currently, approximately 5.2 million people have Alzheimer’s diseases, to which a cure has yet to be discovered.

The most recent course of treatment tested was unfortunately unsuccessful. Studies have shown that elevated levels of homocysteine lead to a more rapid decline and more damage to the brain.

Vitamin B is known to lower the levels of homocysteine, an amino acid. These facts led the researchers to the apparently logical conclusion that administering vitamin B to Alzheimer’s patients would, if not cure, at least slow the progression of the disease.

The study on the effects of vitamin B in patients with Alzheimer’s began in February 2003 and ended in December 2006. It was conducted on a number of 340 patients which had Alzheimer’s, in a moderate form. Of these 340, researchers administered folic acid, vitamin B12 and vitamin B6 to 202, and placebos to the rest of 138.

What was hoped to be achieved was a 25% increase of the cognitive function. It is uncertain why vitamin B had no effect on the progressive disease. Disappointed by the results, the scientists who led the study were much more aware of the urgent and dire need of a functioning treatment for the Alzheimer’s disease. Another mystery regarding the disease is the cause – the exact cause of why the Alzheimer’s disease develops is still unclear.

What patients have so far are drugs and treatments that function on a short-term basis instead of medicine which can have an effect in the long-run. Hopes are high regarding future discoveries in treating Alzheimer’s disease.