Alzheimer’s is a progressive disease that impairs memory, thinking, and behavior, affecting nearly seven million people in the U.S. and expected to reach 13 million by 2050. Recently, researchers have begun exploring thiamine as a potential treatment for Alzheimer’s. Brain tissue from people with the disease shows a thiamine deficiency, even though their blood levels of thiamine are normal. This is likely due to an impaired ability to deliver thiamine to the brain, which hampers memory and cognition.

Scientists believe that increasing thiamine levels could be key to slowing the progression of Alzheimer’s disease. By significantly raising thiamine levels in the blood, they aim to enhance brain function and improve memory retention. They also think that benfotiamine could work alongside existing treatments to offer additional benefits beyond current therapies. A new clinical trial, funded by the National Institute on Aging at the NIH, seeks to investigate this potential link.

Studies show that older Black Americans are twice as likely to develop Alzheimer’s compared to older non-Hispanic White Americans, and older Hispanic Americans are 1.5 times more likely. There is also increasing evidence that Alzheimer’s biomarkers vary across different populations. Due to these disparities, research into potential treatments such as benfotiamine must consider the diverse experiences of those affected by Alzheimer’s, according to José Alejandro Luchsinger, M.D., MPH, Vice-Chair for Clinical and Epidemiologic Research at Columbia University and a lead investigator in the trial.

Dr. Luchsinger and his team are looking for participants from all races and ethnicities to help develop an Alzheimer’s treatment that benefits everyone. The clinical trial is recruiting people aged 50-89 with mild memory concerns or a diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment or mild Alzheimer’s disease. Learn more at www.benfoteam.org.