Dementia Myth: Most Patients With Dementia Are Curable

By Dr. Vernon Coleman – 45 Q&As – Unbekoming Book Summary

In my interview with Dr. Coleman, I asked him:

Interview with Dr. Vernon Coleman - Lies are Unbekoming

13. Your book `The Dementia Myth’ challenges common assumptions about cognitive decline. What motivated you to explore this particular topic?

When my mother fell ill with what appeared to be dementia, my wife researched her symptoms and concluded that my mother’s symptoms were most likely a result of normal pressure hydrocephalus. We arranged for a total of nine neurologists to examine my mum. They were all dismissive and even with the diagnosis handed to them on a plate they refused to accept it. When doctors finally accepted that they were wrong and that she did have normal pressure hydrocephalus, it was too late to repair the damage that had been done. The more I investigated the more I realised that many patients with alleged dementia have been misdiagnosed. There are several reasons for this. First, for some inexplicable but doubtless malign reason, doctors in UK receive a cash bonus every time they diagnose dementia. Second, drug companies work hand in hand with charities to promote dementia in general and Alzheimer’s disease in particular. I wrote `The Dementia Myth’ to draw attention to the commonest, easily cured diagnoses which are overlooked in favour of the default diagnosis of dementia.

Another industrial distortion and corruption.

Cash bonuses per diagnosis. When has that ever worked out well for the patient?

With thanks to Dr. Vernon Coleman.

---

---

Note to Readers

• I’m on holiday for the next few weeks, so you will see some increased production until I go back work.

• I’m told that the dinosaur story isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Can anyone point me to some high-quality material on this.

• I’m interested in good material and books on the sins of pet vaccines.

• What are the most likely causes of the Black Death, assuming the official story isn’t completely true?

unbekoming@outlook.com

---

Analogy

Imagine a large apartment building where many residents are experiencing flooding in their homes. The building's management has a contract with an expensive water damage repair company and automatically calls them for every case, putting residents on costly long-term repair plans. The management even receives a bonus for each repair contract signed.

However, the real issue isn't multiple separate flooding problems - there are actually just three main causes: a faulty main water pipe that needs a simple fix, incorrectly set water pressure regulators that require a quick adjustment, and broken water shut-off valves that need replacement. Instead of investigating these basic issues, management keeps telling residents that flooding is just an inevitable part of living in their building, especially if they're on the upper floors (older residents).

The repair company makes huge profits from ongoing treatments rather than one-time fixes, while a simple plumber could solve most problems quickly and cheaply. Meanwhile, the building's maintenance manual, which explains how to identify and fix these basic issues, has been rewritten by the repair company to focus mainly on their expensive solutions.

Just as the flooding could be fixed by addressing the actual causes rather than assuming every case needs the same expensive, ongoing treatment, many dementia cases could be cured by investigating and treating their true underlying causes rather than defaulting to an Alzheimer's diagnosis and expensive, long-term drug treatments.

This mirrors how the medical establishment, influenced by pharmaceutical companies, often ignores treatable causes of dementia in favor of profitable, long-term treatments while patients suffer unnecessarily from conditions that could be readily cured.

Elevator Explanation

Imagine if I told you that about half of all people diagnosed with "incurable" dementia could actually be cured within weeks. Shocking, right? That's because most people, including many doctors, have been led to believe that dementia automatically means Alzheimer's disease. But that's like saying every time someone has a headache, it must be a brain tumor.

There are actually three common, treatable conditions that often get misdiagnosed as Alzheimer's: side effects from common medications like sleeping pills or tranquilizers, vitamin B12 deficiency that can be fixed with simple injections, and a condition called normal pressure hydrocephalus that can be cured with a straightforward surgery.

The problem is, our medical system is set up to favor diagnosing Alzheimer's disease because it's more profitable for drug companies - they can sell expensive medications for years. Doctors even get financial bonuses for diagnosing Alzheimer's, but not for identifying these treatable conditions. As a result, hundreds of thousands of people are living in nursing homes or requiring constant care when they could be leading normal, independent lives.

The key message is that if you or a loved one shows signs of dementia, don't accept an Alzheimer's diagnosis until these other conditions have been properly investigated. It could mean the difference between years of decline and a return to normal life within weeks.

12-point summary

1. Fundamental Misunderstanding: Dementia vs. Alzheimer's Distinction The critical misunderstanding that dementia and Alzheimer's disease are synonymous has led to widespread misdiagnosis. Dementia is a set of symptoms that can have many causes, while Alzheimer's is just one specific cause.

2. Scale of Misdiagnosis: Statistical Impact At least half of all patients diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease are actually suffering from treatable conditions, affecting hundreds of thousands of patients worldwide who could be cured within weeks.

3. Three Major Treatable Causes: Primary Overlooked Conditions The three most commonly overlooked but treatable causes of dementia are prescription drug side effects, vitamin B12 deficiency, and normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH), each of which can be effectively treated with relatively simple interventions.

4. Laboratory Testing Problems: B12 Testing Thresholds Current laboratory standards for vitamin B12 testing use dangerously low thresholds (180 pg/ml) when research shows neurological symptoms begin at levels below 350-400 pg/ml, leading to widespread underdiagnosis of B12 deficiency.

5. Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus: Prevalence and Treatment NPH affects between 1.4% and 4% of people over 65, with an 80% success rate for treatment through shunt surgery, yet it is missed in 80% of cases due to lack of awareness and investigation.

6. Financial Influences: Profit-Driven Healthcare The pharmaceutical industry's influence on medical education, research, and practice leads to systematic bias toward diagnosing conditions requiring expensive, long-term drug treatment rather than curable conditions with simple, inexpensive solutions.

7. Medical Education Impact: Training Bias Post-graduate medical education, controlled largely by pharmaceutical companies, creates generations of doctors trained to recognize and treat profitable conditions while remaining unaware of more easily treatable causes of dementia.

8. Charity Sector Influence: Corporate Integration Medical charities have evolved from independent patient advocacy groups into professional organizations aligned with pharmaceutical industry interests, helping promote certain diagnoses and treatments over others.

9. Age Discrimination: Healthcare Bias Systematic discrimination against patients over 70 leads to superficial examinations and quick default diagnoses, particularly in dementia cases, with symptoms often dismissed as normal aging.

10. Research Funding: Priority Distortion Medical research priorities are determined by potential profit rather than patient benefit, leading to minimal investigation of curable conditions that don't require expensive long-term medication.

11. Cost Impact: Financial Burden The misdiagnosis of treatable dementia conditions costs healthcare systems billions annually, with the UK alone spending £26.3 billion yearly on dementia care, of which £1.3-2.6 billion could potentially be saved through proper diagnosis of NPH alone.

12. Reform Requirements: System Changes Needed Meaningful reform requires fundamental changes to medical education, research funding, diagnostic protocols, and the elimination of financial incentives that encourage Alzheimer's diagnosis over other conditions.

45 Questions & Answers

Question 1: What is the fundamental difference between dementia and Alzheimer's disease, and why is this distinction critically important?

Answer: Dementia is a general term describing symptoms that can result from numerous different diseases, much like 'cancer' and 'infection' are general terms for conditions with many possible causes. It is a word that describes a collection of symptoms affecting mental processes, but it is not itself a specific disease. Some forms of dementia are curable, while others are not.

Alzheimer's disease is just one specific cause of dementia, yet it has erroneously become the default diagnosis for most dementia cases. This distinction is critically important because treating all dementia as Alzheimer's disease leads to missed opportunities for treating curable conditions like vitamin B12 deficiency, normal pressure hydrocephalus, and prescription drug-induced dementia. Many patients diagnosed with Alzheimer's could potentially be cured if properly diagnosed with their actual underlying condition.

Question 2: How does the medical establishment's "default diagnosis" of Alzheimer's disease impact patient care and treatment outcomes?

Answer: The default diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease results in hundreds of thousands of patients being misdiagnosed and abandoned to a fate of progressive decline when they could have been treated and cured. When doctors automatically assume dementia means Alzheimer's, they often fail to conduct proper investigations into other potential causes, leading to missed diagnoses of treatable conditions.

This practice serves the interests of pharmaceutical companies, who profit from expensive Alzheimer's medications, while patients suffer needlessly. The impact extends beyond individual patients to their families, who must provide care and support, often abandoning their own lives and careers to do so. The financial cost to society is measured in tens of billions, encompassing both direct healthcare costs and the lost productivity of patients and caregivers.

Question 3: What are the three most commonly overlooked but treatable causes of dementia symptoms?

Answer: The three most commonly overlooked but treatable causes of dementia are prescription drug side effects (particularly from tranquilizers and sleeping tablets), vitamin B12 deficiency, and normal pressure hydrocephalus. These conditions affect hundreds of thousands of patients who have been misdiagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, yet each is treatable with relatively simple interventions.

Drug-induced dementia can be reversed by carefully withdrawing unnecessary medications, vitamin B12 deficiency can be treated with simple injections, and normal pressure hydrocephalus can be cured with a straightforward surgical procedure. These conditions are frequently missed because they don't generate significant profits for pharmaceutical companies, and there are actually financial incentives for doctors to diagnose Alzheimer's disease instead.

Question 4: How do prescription drugs contribute to dementia symptoms, and what specific drug classes are most problematic?

Answer: Prescription drugs, particularly sedatives, hypnotics, anxiolytics, and anti-depressants, can cause symptoms that perfectly mimic dementia. Benzodiazepine tranquilizers and sleeping tablets like Valium, Mogadon, and Ativan are among the most common culprits, capable of causing severe confusion, memory loss, and cognitive decline that can be mistaken for dementia.

The tragic irony is that when these drug-induced symptoms appear, doctors often respond by increasing the dosage of the problematic medications or adding new ones, creating a vicious cycle that worsens the patient's condition. The evidence for these effects has been available for nearly half a century, with studies showing that these drugs can cause depression so severe that suicidal thoughts occur, along with confusion, incontinence, and inability to walk or speak clearly.

Question 5: What is Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus (NPH), and why is it frequently misdiagnosed?

Answer: Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus occurs when cerebrospinal fluid is not reabsorbed as fast as it is produced, leading to accumulation in the ventricles of the brain. This accumulation puts pressure on the brain, causing damage and specific symptoms, yet the intracranial pressure remains normal. The condition is treatable with a simple surgical procedure that places a shunt to drain excess fluid.

NPH is frequently misdiagnosed because most doctors are unfamiliar with the condition, and it doesn't generate significant profits for pharmaceutical companies. Studies suggest that between 5% and 10% of patients diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease actually have NPH, making it a significantly underdiagnosed condition that affects hundreds of thousands of patients who could be successfully treated.

Question 6: What are the three cardinal symptoms of Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus that medical professionals should recognize?

Answer: The three cardinal symptoms of Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus are a distinctive wide-legged, unsteady gait with a tendency to fall frequently, dementia, and urinary incontinence. The gait disturbance is often the initial symptom, with patients' feet appearing to stick to the floor and requiring effort to lift for the next step. Falling is particularly significant because it is not typically associated with other common forms of dementia.

These symptoms progress in a predictable pattern, with the gait disturbance typically appearing first, followed by cognitive decline and finally urinary incontinence. The combination of these three symptoms should immediately prompt investigation for NPH, particularly in elderly patients who fall frequently. Unfortunately, many medical professionals either don't recognize this pattern or dismiss it as normal aging.

Question 7: How does vitamin B12 deficiency manifest as dementia, and why is it often missed by medical professionals?

Answer: Vitamin B12 deficiency manifests as dementia through a wide range of neurological symptoms including confusion, memory loss, depression, and cognitive decline. Between 3% and 5% of the general population are deficient in vitamin B12, with some experts putting the figure as high as 10%. The deficiency is particularly common in those over 60, where at least one-fifth of people have dangerously low levels.

Medical professionals often miss this diagnosis because they don't routinely test for vitamin B12 deficiency, and when they do, they rely on outdated laboratory reference ranges that set the threshold for deficiency too low. A patient needs to have a blood level of at least 350-400 to avoid deficiency symptoms, yet many laboratories won't flag a problem unless levels fall below 180, leaving many patients untreated despite having serious symptoms.

Question 8: What role do laboratory testing standards play in the misdiagnosis of vitamin B12 deficiency?

Answer: Laboratory testing standards significantly contribute to misdiagnosis because they use incorrect 'normal' result figures that have been in place for years. Most laboratories consider vitamin B12 deficiency only when levels fall below 180, despite clear evidence that patients with levels below 350-400 are already showing severe signs of deficiency and experiencing significant neurological damage.

Different laboratories use varying 'normal' ranges, creating confusion and inconsistency in diagnosis. The British Committee for Standards in Haematology acknowledges there is no 'gold standard' test, suggesting that symptoms rather than blood levels should be the deciding factor in treatment. This problematic standardization leads to countless patients being told their B12 levels are normal when they are actually dangerously low.

Question 9: How do drug companies influence medical charities, and what impact does this have on patient care?

Answer: Drug companies influence medical charities through strategic financial support, transforming small volunteer organizations into professional entities dependent on pharmaceutical funding. They approach small charities with offers of financial assistance, initially providing small donations that gradually increase, creating dependency. These charities then become effective mouthpieces for drug company interests, promoting their products and perspectives while appearing independent.

The impact on patient care is profound as these charities often promote specific drug treatments while downplaying or ignoring alternative diagnoses and treatments that might be more appropriate but less profitable. For example, Alzheimer's charities frequently present dementia and Alzheimer's as synonymous, despite this being dangerously misleading, because it serves the financial interests of their pharmaceutical sponsors who produce expensive Alzheimer's medications.

Question 10: What specific financial incentives exist for doctors to diagnose Alzheimer's disease over other forms of dementia?

Answer: In the UK, doctors receive direct financial bonuses for diagnosing Alzheimer's disease, but receive no similar reward for diagnosing treatable conditions like vitamin B12 deficiency or normal pressure hydrocephalus. This creates a perverse incentive structure where physicians are financially motivated to make an Alzheimer's diagnosis rather than investigating other potential causes of dementia.

The incentive system extends beyond direct payments, as pharmaceutical companies provide various benefits to doctors who prescribe their Alzheimer's medications, including sponsored medical education, conference attendance, and research grants. This comprehensive system of financial rewards helps explain why Alzheimer's disease has become the default diagnosis for dementia, despite evidence that many cases are misdiagnosed and could be treated effectively with other interventions.

Question 11: How do medical journals' financial relationships with pharmaceutical companies affect the publication of medical research?

Answer: Medical journals depend heavily on pharmaceutical advertising revenue, with journals charging astronomical rates for advertising space compared to non-medical publications. For example, The Lancet charges up to £10,800 for a full-page advertisement despite having a relatively modest circulation of 29,103, while a comparable non-medical magazine charges only £900 for similar space. This financial dependency creates an inherent conflict of interest.

These journals serve primarily as marketing tools for the pharmaceutical industry, with most published papers written by doctors who have received money or goods from drug companies. Some papers are published only because drug companies have paid the journal to publish research that helps promote their products. The journals will also suppress the publication of scientific papers considered commercially harmful to their advertisers.

Question 12: What specific symptoms differentiate Alzheimer's disease from other forms of dementia in its early stages?

Answer: Early Alzheimer's symptoms begin with forgetfulness, especially of recent events, while long-term memory remains relatively intact. Patients may remember events from a year ago but lose all recollection of what occurred an hour ago. They often become highly defensive when questioned about their failing memory and may go to great lengths to hide their memory loss from friends and relatives.

Additional early symptoms include difficulty making decisions, inability to perform simple mathematical calculations, repetitious questioning, misplacing objects in inappropriate places, and difficulty finding the right words during conversations. However, these symptoms alone cannot confirm Alzheimer's, as they may also indicate vitamin B12 deficiency, normal pressure hydrocephalus, or medication side effects. This is why proper differential diagnosis is crucial before assuming Alzheimer's.

Question 13: How does the current medical education system perpetuate the problem of misdiagnosis in dementia cases?

Answer: Medical school departments are largely run by specialists focused on obscure and often untreatable diseases, while common and straightforward-to-treat disorders like vitamin B12 deficiency and normal pressure hydrocephalus receive minimal attention. These specialists often ignore such conditions because they don't merit drug company sponsored invitations to conferences or significant research funding.

Post-graduate medical education is effectively controlled by the pharmaceutical industry, which sponsors lectures and buys overpriced advertising in medical journals. This creates a system where doctors are primarily educated about conditions that generate substantial profits for drug companies, while receiving minimal training in identifying and treating more common but less profitable conditions that could be cured with simple interventions.

Question 14: What evidence exists regarding the true prevalence of Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus compared to official statistics?

Answer: Research in Japan showed NPH affects 1.4% of individuals aged 65 and older, while Swedish studies found an incidence of 4% in the same age group. Applied to population statistics, this suggests there are currently around 140,000-400,000 people in the UK with NPH, and between 560,000-1,600,000 in the US, numbers far higher than officially recognized.

Studies of long-term care facilities reveal that approximately 14% of residents show signs of NPH, suggesting that in a small nursing home with 20 patients, three to six patients likely have undiagnosed NPH. The Hydrocephalus Association estimates that only one-fifth of NPH cases are properly diagnosed, meaning hundreds of thousands of patients who could be treated are instead left to deteriorate with an incorrect diagnosis.

Question 15: How do current NHS policies affect the diagnosis and treatment of elderly patients with dementia symptoms?

Answer: NHS policies actively mislead about dementia through official publications that categorically state dementia cannot be cured. This dangerous misinformation is distributed in conjunction with Alzheimer's charities and research organizations, despite clear evidence that at least half of all individuals diagnosed with dementia could be cured within weeks through proper diagnosis and treatment.

The NHS system also incentivizes general practitioners to diagnose Alzheimer's disease through financial bonuses, while providing no similar incentives for diagnosing treatable conditions. This creates a situation where doctors are rewarded for making potentially incorrect diagnoses that lead to expensive, long-term drug treatments rather than investigating potentially curable causes of dementia symptoms.

Question 16: What is the significance of the lumbar puncture test in diagnosing Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus?

Answer: The lumbar puncture test serves as both a diagnostic tool and a predictor of treatment success for Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus. When cerebrospinal fluid is removed through a lumbar puncture, patients with NPH often show immediate improvement in their symptoms within three to four days, providing strong evidence for the diagnosis and indicating likely success with shunt surgery.

Even more telling is that when approximately 30 mls of fluid are removed, significant clinical improvement suggests an excellent prognosis with permanent shunt placement. However, lack of improvement after fluid removal doesn't rule out NPH, as some patients still respond well to shunt surgery despite no immediate response to the lumbar puncture.

Question 17: How does the medical establishment silence doctors who challenge conventional wisdom about dementia?

Answer: The medical establishment employs multiple tactics to silence dissenting voices, including professional ostracism, removal of academic positions, and threats to hospital privileges. For example, when Dr. J. Meirion Thomas wrote an article criticizing GP services, he was immediately forced to sever relations with Imperial College, faced attempts to strike him off the medical register, and was suspended from his surgical work at The Royal Marsden Hospital.

Doctors who speak out face coordinated pressure from multiple sources, including professional organizations, academic institutions, and even threats to hospital funding. They may be forced to sign agreements limiting their ability to write articles or speak publicly, and often find themselves unable to publish or promote their work through mainstream medical channels.

Question 18: What are the specific ways that prescription drug effects can be mistaken for progressive dementia?

Answer: Prescription drugs, particularly benzodiazepines, can produce symptoms identical to dementia, including confusion, memory loss, instability, and cognitive decline. Studies since 1968 have documented how these medications can cause severe depression, confusion, incontinence, and inability to walk or speak clearly - all symptoms that mirror progressive dementia.

The situation becomes particularly problematic when doctors interpret these drug-induced symptoms as signs of worsening dementia, leading them to increase medication dosages or add new drugs. This creates a vicious cycle where the attempted treatment actually worsens the condition, reinforcing the incorrect diagnosis and leading to further deterioration.

Question 19: How do age-related biases in healthcare affect the diagnosis and treatment of dementia patients?

Answer: Age-related bias manifests through systematic discrimination against patients over 70, who are often regarded as second-class citizens by medical staff. The United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals actually endorse this discrimination by allowing healthcare systems to disregard deaths of people over 70 in their assessment metrics, effectively categorizing elderly patients as an economic burden rather than individuals deserving thorough medical investigation.

These biases result in elderly patients receiving superficial examinations, with their symptoms often dismissed as "normal aging." Medical staff frequently assume that cognitive decline is inevitable with age, despite evidence showing that many elderly people maintain sharp mental faculties well into their 90s. This prejudice leads to missed diagnoses of treatable conditions and unnecessary suffering.

Question 20: What role do large medical charities play in shaping public perception of Alzheimer's disease and dementia?

Answer: Large medical charities have evolved from small volunteer organizations into professional entities that effectively serve as marketing arms for pharmaceutical companies. They shape public perception by consistently promoting the idea that dementia and Alzheimer's disease are synonymous, and by emphasizing the incurable nature of dementia while downplaying or ignoring treatable causes.

These organizations receive substantial funding from drug companies and consequently align their messaging with pharmaceutical industry interests. Their apparent independence makes them particularly effective at convincing media outlets and the public to accept myths about dementia, while their educational materials often focus exclusively on Alzheimer's disease rather than presenting information about other, potentially treatable causes of dementia.

Question 21: How does the shunt surgery procedure work for Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus, and what are its success rates?

Answer: Shunt surgery involves placing a small piece of plastic tubing in the brain's ventricles, running it under the skin to either the abdomen (ventriculoperitoneal shunting) or the heart's right atrium (ventriculoatrial shunting). This mechanical solution allows excess cerebrospinal fluid to drain continuously, reducing pressure on the brain. The shunt includes an adjustable valve that can be modified using a magnet to control fluid flow rates.

Success rates are remarkably high, with 80-86% of patients showing significant improvement after surgery, regardless of age. Recent advances include lumboperitoneal shunt surgery, which may prove safer than traditional approaches. Studies show that most patients maintain improvement years after surgery, with 79% reporting sustained benefits after 4.2 years, including improved gait, living conditions, bladder function, and reduced sleep needs.

Question 22: What specific steps should a family take if they suspect their loved one has been misdiagnosed with Alzheimer's disease?

Answer: Families should first insist on comprehensive testing to exclude treatable conditions, particularly vitamin B12 deficiency, normal pressure hydrocephalus, and medication side effects. This includes demanding proper blood tests with correct reference ranges for B12 (above 350-400 rather than the commonly used 180), brain scans, and a lumbar puncture if NPH is suspected.

They should seek second or third opinions, particularly from specialists who are willing to consider alternative diagnoses. If the patient shows any of the cardinal signs of NPH (unsteady gait, falls, incontinence) or has been on long-term tranquilizers or sleeping medications, these specific issues should be investigated thoroughly before accepting an Alzheimer's diagnosis.

Question 23: How does the homocysteine-vitamin B12 relationship impact dementia diagnosis and treatment?

Answer: The relationship between homocysteine and vitamin B12 is straightforward yet often misunderstood: when vitamin B12 levels decrease, homocysteine levels in the blood rise. Patients diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease who show elevated homocysteine levels may actually be suffering from B12 deficiency rather than Alzheimer's.

When the underlying B12 deficiency is treated, the elevated homocysteine levels normalize, and many symptoms of dementia may improve or resolve completely. This represents a critical diagnostic opportunity that is frequently missed, leading to incorrect Alzheimer's diagnoses when patients could be treated effectively with B12 supplementation.

Question 24: What is the true cost impact of misdiagnosing treatable conditions as Alzheimer's disease?

Answer: The financial impact extends into tens of billions, encompassing direct healthcare costs, expensive pharmaceutical treatments, nursing home care, and the lost productivity of both patients and their caregivers who often must abandon their careers to provide care. In the UK alone, the cost of dementias is estimated at £26.3 billion annually, with potential savings of £1.3-2.6 billion possible through proper diagnosis and treatment of NPH alone.

The human cost is equally staggering, with millions of patients worldwide unnecessarily confined to nursing homes or requiring constant care when they could be leading independent, productive lives. This includes the emotional toll on families, lost years of productive life, and the devastating impact on caregivers who must reshape their entire lives around providing care.

Question 25: How do drug company marketing strategies influence the diagnosis and treatment of dementia?

Answer: Drug companies strategically market Alzheimer's disease as synonymous with dementia, encouraging it to become the default diagnosis through various channels including medical education, journal advertising, and charity partnerships. They systematically promote expensive, long-term drug treatments for Alzheimer's while minimizing attention to curable conditions that don't require ongoing medication.

The industry actively discourages investigation of vitamin B12 deficiency and normal pressure hydrocephalus because these conditions can be treated inexpensively without patented drugs. They influence medical education, research priorities, and clinical practice guidelines to favor diagnoses and treatments that generate ongoing profit rather than one-time cures.

Question 26: What are the key differences between the symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency and multiple sclerosis?

Answer: Vitamin B12 deficiency and multiple sclerosis produce almost identical symptoms, including muscle weakness, paraesthesia, gait problems, and demyelination. This similarity has led to countless young patients being misdiagnosed with multiple sclerosis when they actually have B12 deficiency. Both conditions affect the nervous system through demyelination, making clinical differentiation challenging without proper B12 testing.

The key distinction lies in treatability - B12 deficiency can be completely reversed with simple vitamin injections, while multiple sclerosis requires expensive, ongoing drug therapy. This difference in treatment cost creates a perverse incentive for the pharmaceutical industry to prefer MS diagnoses, as MS drugs are enormously expensive and profitable compared to B12 injections that cost pennies.

Question 27: How do nursing homes and long-term care facilities approach dementia patients differently based on diagnosis?

Answer: Studies show that approximately 14% of nursing home residents likely have undiagnosed normal pressure hydrocephalus, yet most facilities treat all dementia patients as if they have incurable Alzheimer's disease. This leads to a care approach focused on management rather than treatment, with patients receiving sedation and basic maintenance care instead of proper diagnostic investigation.

Long-term care facilities often operate based on the assumption that dementia patients will inevitably decline, missing opportunities for potential treatment and recovery. This approach is reinforced by the medical establishment's default position that dementia equals Alzheimer's, leading to a self-fulfilling prophecy where treatable conditions go unrecognized and untreated.

Question 28: How does blood pressure medication and dementia research encourage harmful medical practices?

Answer: Research suggesting that slightly increased blood pressure in middle life leads to increased dementia risk has led to widespread prescription of blood pressure medication, despite questionable methodology and limited evidence. This research lacks consideration of crucial variables such as stress levels, mental agility, lifestyle factors, and the potential risks of long-term medication use.

The pharmaceutical industry benefits enormously from this approach, as it creates a new market for blood pressure medications among otherwise healthy individuals. This represents another example of how research can be used to promote drug treatments while ignoring potential risks and alternative approaches to preventing cognitive decline.

Question 29: How does paracetamol potentially relate to Alzheimer's disease development?

Answer: Historical research from 1971 showed that phenacetin, now banned, might cause Alzheimer's disease. Since phenacetin converts to paracetamol in the body, and paracetamol produces the analgesic effect, there's a concerning potential link between paracetamol and Alzheimer's that has never been properly investigated. This connection becomes more worrying considering paracetamol's widespread use.

Paradoxically, paracetamol is now commonly prescribed to treat pain in Alzheimer's patients, despite these historical concerns. The lack of research into this potential connection exemplifies how commercial interests can prevent investigation of potentially crucial medical questions, especially when such research might threaten profitable medications.

Question 30: What specific tests should be conducted before confirming an Alzheimer's diagnosis?

Answer: A comprehensive diagnostic process should include psychiatric examination, blood tests (especially for vitamin B12), mental testing, EMG, neurological examination, CAT scan, physical examination, EEG, medical history assessment, MRI scan, and SPECT scan. Additionally, a lumbar puncture should be performed if there's any suspicion of normal pressure hydrocephalus.

Most diagnoses of dementia and Alzheimer's are made without completing most of these tests, which constitutes criminal negligence. The only way to be 100% certain of Alzheimer's is through brain autopsy, making it crucial to rule out all other possible causes before making this diagnosis. However, the current system often bypasses this thorough process in favor of quick, profitable diagnoses.

Question 31: How do dementia patients typically die, and what is the significance of this understanding?

Answer: Patients don't actually die from Alzheimer's disease itself, but rather from complications or other conditions. Most patients reported as dying from Alzheimer's typically succumb to pneumonia or other infections that are deliberately left untreated, or from circulatory events like strokes. Alzheimer's affects cognitive function but doesn't directly stop breathing or heart function.

This understanding is crucial because some forms of dementia, such as untreated normal pressure hydrocephalus or severe vitamin B12 deficiency, can directly cause death by damaging critical brain areas. Many patients recorded as dying from Alzheimer's may have actually died from these treatable conditions that were misdiagnosed.

Question 32: What are the implications of electronic tagging for wandering dementia patients?

Answer: Electronic tagging of dementia patients who wander is considered a practical and humane safety measure that benefits both patients and caregivers. While some worry about the dignity implications, the safety benefits far outweigh any potential stigma, especially compared to more restrictive alternatives like physical restraints or constant supervision.

The practice should be routinely offered to all dementia patients, as it provides a better solution than current practices in some hospitals where patients are physically restricted to their beds. This represents a balance between maintaining patient safety and preserving as much freedom and dignity as possible.

Question 33: How do prescription drug profits influence research priorities in dementia studies?

Answer: Drug companies prioritize research into chronic, incurable conditions that require long-term medication over potentially curable conditions. They favor studies of Alzheimer's disease because it typically requires years of expensive drug treatment, while showing little interest in researching conditions like vitamin B12 deficiency or normal pressure hydrocephalus that can be cured cheaply.

Research funding decisions are driven by potential profit rather than patient benefit, leading to a systematic bias against investigating curable conditions. This creates a self-perpetuating cycle where profitable conditions receive more research attention, leading to more drug development and marketing, while potentially curable conditions remain understudied.

Question 34: What role does post-graduate medical education play in perpetuating misdiagnosis?

Answer: Post-graduate medical education is largely controlled by pharmaceutical companies through sponsored lectures, conferences, and journal advertising. This creates a system where doctors receive ongoing education primarily about conditions that generate profitable drug treatments, while receiving minimal information about more easily treatable conditions.

The result is generations of doctors trained to recognize and treat conditions that benefit drug companies rather than those that might best serve patients. This educational bias leads to systematic misdiagnosis and overmedication, particularly in conditions like dementia where multiple treatable causes exist.

Question 35: How do laboratory reference ranges for vitamin B12 testing vary, and why is this significant?

Answer: Laboratory reference ranges for vitamin B12 vary significantly between facilities, with most using dangerously low thresholds for deficiency. While research shows that levels below 350-400 pg/ml indicate deficiency requiring treatment, many laboratories won't flag a problem until levels fall below 180 pg/ml, leading to widespread underdiagnosis.

This variation in reference ranges means patients with identical B12 levels might receive different diagnoses and treatment recommendations depending on which laboratory performs their tests. This inconsistency leads to many patients being told their B12 levels are normal when they're actually experiencing significant deficiency symptoms.

Question 36: What are the specific ways drug companies control medical research and education?

Answer: Drug companies maintain control through multiple channels: funding research projects, sponsoring medical education programs, providing grants to medical schools, and controlling medical journal content through advertising revenue. They also influence professional conferences, post-graduate education, and clinical guidelines through strategic funding and sponsorship.

This comprehensive control ensures that medical knowledge and practice align with pharmaceutical industry interests. Doctors who challenge this system face professional isolation, limited career opportunities, and difficulty publishing or presenting their findings.

Question 37: How does the current medical system's approach to elderly patients affect dementia diagnosis and treatment?

Answer: The medical system systematically discriminates against elderly patients through policies that consider those over 70 as low priority for investigation and treatment. This ageism is institutionalized through healthcare metrics that don't count deaths over 70 as premature, leading to reduced effort in diagnosis and treatment.

This systematic bias results in superficial examinations, quick default diagnoses, and a tendency to dismiss symptoms as normal aging. Elderly patients often receive less thorough investigation of their symptoms, leading to missed diagnoses of treatable conditions.

Question 38: What is the significance of the case history of Antoinette Coleman in understanding vitamin B12 deficiency?

Answer: Antoinette Coleman's case demonstrates how vitamin B12 deficiency can mimic multiple sclerosis and other neurological conditions, leading to years of misdiagnosis. Despite showing classic B12 deficiency symptoms, including neurological problems and cognitive issues, she was initially investigated for multiple sclerosis and motor neurone disease.

Her case highlights how conventional testing thresholds fail patients, as her initial B12 level of 264 was considered normal despite being well below the level where neurological symptoms begin. Only when her levels fell below the artificially low laboratory threshold was she finally diagnosed and treated.

Question 39: How do different countries approach the diagnosis and treatment of Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus?

Answer: Research shows significant variation in NPH diagnosis and treatment between countries. Swedish researchers have developed advanced methods for measuring cerebrospinal fluid dynamics and have conducted extensive studies showing higher prevalence rates than previously thought. Japanese studies have also demonstrated much higher incidence rates than historically considered possible.

However, in many countries, including the UK and US, NPH remains underdiagnosed and undertreated due to limited awareness and lack of systematic screening. This variation in approach leads to dramatic differences in diagnosis and treatment rates between countries.

Question 40: What are the specific challenges faced by doctors who attempt to challenge the medical establishment?

Answer: Doctors who challenge conventional wisdom face professional isolation, loss of academic positions, restrictions on publishing, and threats to their clinical practice. They may be forced to sign agreements limiting their ability to write or speak publicly about medical issues, and face orchestrated campaigns to discredit their work.

The medical establishment uses multiple mechanisms to suppress dissent, including control of medical journals, conference presentations, and professional appointments. This systematic suppression ensures that alternative viewpoints about conditions like dementia receive limited exposure.

Question 41: How do medical journals' advertising policies affect the publication of research about dementia?

Answer: Medical journals charge exponentially higher advertising rates than comparable non-medical publications, making them dependent on pharmaceutical company advertising revenue. This financial relationship influences editorial policies and research publication decisions, particularly regarding conditions like dementia where significant pharmaceutical profits are at stake.

The journals' dependence on drug company advertising creates a systemic bias against publishing research that might question profitable treatment approaches or suggest less profitable alternatives, such as studies about treatable causes of dementia.

Question 42: What is the relationship between hospital administrative policies and patient care for dementia patients?

Answer: Hospital administrative policies often prioritize bed turnover and cost reduction over proper diagnosis and treatment of elderly patients with dementia. This results in pressure to discharge patients quickly, often with incomplete investigations and default diagnoses, particularly affecting those with potentially treatable conditions.

Administrative systems also tend to favor diagnoses that align with established funding patterns and treatment protocols, discouraging thorough investigation of alternative diagnoses that might require more time or different approaches to treatment.

Question 43: How does the current system of medical research funding affect the study of treatable forms of dementia?

Answer: The current research funding system, dominated by pharmaceutical industry interests, systematically underfunds investigation of treatable forms of dementia because they offer limited profit potential. Conditions like normal pressure hydrocephalus and vitamin B12 deficiency receive minimal research attention despite their high prevalence and curability.

This creates a self-perpetuating cycle where well-funded research into drug treatments for Alzheimer's generates more evidence and awareness, while potentially curable conditions remain understudied and underrecognized.

Question 44: What are the specific warning signs that should prompt investigation of alternatives to an Alzheimer's diagnosis?

Answer: Key warning signs include gait problems with frequent falls, sudden onset of symptoms, rapid progression of cognitive decline, and urinary incontinence, particularly in combination. The presence of these symptoms, especially in patients taking multiple medications or with dietary restrictions, should trigger investigation for alternative diagnoses.

Additional red flags include improvement after vitamin supplementation or medication changes, fluctuating symptoms, or symptoms that don't follow the typical Alzheimer's progression pattern. These signs should prompt thorough investigation for treatable conditions before accepting an Alzheimer's diagnosis.

Question 45: How can the medical system be reformed to better identify and treat curable forms of dementia?

Answer: Reform requires fundamental changes to medical education, research funding, and diagnostic protocols. These should include mandatory testing for treatable conditions before making an Alzheimer's diagnosis, revision of laboratory reference ranges for vitamin B12, and removal of financial incentives that encourage Alzheimer's diagnosis over other conditions.

Systemic changes must also address the influence of pharmaceutical companies on medical education and research, while implementing new protocols for investigating elderly patients with cognitive symptoms. This includes eliminating age discrimination in healthcare and ensuring thorough investigation of all dementia cases regardless of patient age.

---

---

I appreciate you being here.

If you've found the content interesting, useful and maybe even helpful, please consider supporting it through a small paid subscription. While everything here is free, your paid subscription is important as it helps in covering some of the operational costs and supports the continuation of this independent research and journalism work. It also helps keep it free for those that cannot afford to pay.

Please make full use of the Free Libraries.

Unbekoming Interview Library: Great interviews across a spectrum of important topics.

Unbekoming Book Summary Library: Concise summaries of important books.

Stories

I'm always in search of good stories, people with valuable expertise and helpful books. Please don't hesitate to get in touch at unbekoming@outlook.com

For COVID vaccine injury

Consider the FLCCC Post-Vaccine Treatment as a resource.

Baseline Human Health

Watch and share this profound 21-minute video to understand and appreciate what health looks like without vaccination.