At the moment, there is no cure for Alzheimer’s disease. Once diagnosed, it’s usually just a matter of years before the diseases progresses to the point of incapacitating someone, which is followed by death.

According to the Alzheimer’s Association, there are three stages to the progression of the disease:

Mild Alzheimer’s (early stage) – a person can still function fairly normal. They can drive, work and carry on. However, they begin to exhibit  problems finding the right words, remembering names, performing some more complex tasks, lesser recall after reading or hearing something and trouble finding where they placed things.

Moderate Alzheimer’s (middle stage) – this stage is the longest lasting, often for many years. Forgetfulness and confusion increases. There are changes to moods and sleep patterns. They often mismatch clothes, get lost, have problems with their bladder and bowels and exhibit greater changes in overall behavioral patterns.

Severe Alzheimer’s (late stage) – for some, this is the shortest stage, but not for all. It is the most difficult stage, not only for the person but for those taking care of them along with their close family and friends. In this stage, the person becomes incapable of taking are of themselves. At some point they fail to recognize anyone else or where they are. They become unable to walk, sit and talk. Eventually, they have difficulty swallowing and they become more susceptible to other illness like the flu and pneumonia. This stage ends in death.

Since no one knows the exact cause, there is still no cure, although in the past couple of years, a lot of progress has been made towards finding the cause, cure and better treatments.

Currently, there are a variety of treatments, usually for different aspects of Alzheimer’s. For those suffering from early and middle stages of Alzheimer’s, some doctors give their patients a class of drugs known as cholinesterase inhibitors. They are used to with memory issues.

For those with behavioral issues, there are both drug and non-drug treatments, depending on the exact behavioral issues each person is exhibiting. However, like many behavioral drugs, there are side effects.

Likewise, there are drug and non-drug treatments being used for Alzheimer’s patients having sleep problems.

Then there is also a number of alternative treatments being used. Some are herbal, some with supplements and some even use acupuncture and other natural remedies. For some, these alternative treatments may help, but for many, they are more a waste of money and hope.

Vahram Haroutunian, Ph.D., a professor of psychiatry and neuroscience at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City, NY, is reporting a possible new treatment that may help many Alzheimer’s sufferers.

According to a report, Haroutunian says there is a link between mild cognitive impairment, dementia and type 2 diabetes. Following that association, he found that there is an association between the accumulation of Alzheimer’s plaques in the brain and the brain insulin receptor pathways.

This led him to discover that people with Alzheimer’s who were taking insulin or other medication to treat diabetes had less Alzheimer’s brain pathogens than those who didn’t take any diabetic medication.

Like any other recent Alzheimer’s discovery, his findings need more research, but it offers additional hope to millions.