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Daily yoga and meditation were part of the wellness intervention plans / photo: shutterstock/bikeriderlondon
Since it was first discovered more than 100 years ago, Alzheimer’s disease has been without an effective treatment. Worldwide, nearly 44 million people are believed to be living with the brain disorder or other forms of dementia. By 2030 this could rise to nearly 76 million according to the US-based BrightFocus Foundation.
But the outlook may not be so bleak if the findings of a small US pilot study are anything to go by. Scientists at the Buck Institute for Research on Aging and the University of California, Los Angeles have discovered that lifestyle and wellness interventions have reversed memory loss in patients with Alzheimer’s disease for the first time. Although the results are anecdotal, the findings are “very encouraging” says study author and neurology professor Dr Dale Bredesen.
Individualised intervention As part of the trial, a group of experts put together a 36-point plan for 10 patients with Alzheimer’s. The plans included taking up yoga and meditation twice a day to reduce stress, exercise and getting an optimal seven to eight hours of sleep. They also comprised strict diet changes, including fasting (see SB14/4 p50).
Each plan was personalised, based on extensive testing to determine what was affecting brain signals in each patient. Although the programmes were difficult to follow – none of the participants were able to fully adhere to them – Bredesen believes a multiple-component approach is key. “The existing Alzheimer’s drug affects a single target, but the disease is more complex,” he says. “Imagine having a roof with 36 holes, and your drug patched one very well... You’d still have 35 other leaks, and so the underlying process may not be affected much.”
Promising results The results were promising, with nine out of the 10 patients seeing advancements in three to six months. The only patient not to benefit had late-stage Alzheimer’s.
Such were the improvements that six participants, who’d been struggling at work or had to stop because of cognitive issues, were able to return to their jobs. Meanwhile, those who stayed in employment showed increased performance. Bredesen adds: “It’s noteworthy that the major side effect of this therapeutic system are improved health and body mass index: a stark contrast to the side effects of many drugs.”
Further research Overall, the results suggest that memory loss may be reversed, and improvements sustained, by following a tailored therapeutic plan. Yet Bredesen cautions that further research is needed. “The current, anecdotal results require a larger trial, not only to confirm or refute the results reported here, but also to address key questions raised, such as the degree of improvement that can be achieved routinely, how late in the course of cognitive decline reversal can be effected... and how long improvement can be sustained,” he says.
Read more from this issue of Spa Business magazine
View contents of Spa Business 2015 issue 1
Letters: Letters
We need sales people in spas says consultant Helen Merchant
Interview -Rich Weissmann: Rich Weissmann
Weissmann, a partner at private equity firm KSL, talks spa investment with Rhianon Howells and reveals its plans for the Miraval brand
Wellness: All in the mind
Twin Peaks director David Lynch has a foundation which uses meditation to help those facing extreme trauma and stress. Julie Cramer talks to the foundation’s co-founder Bob Roth
How could spas adapt their design and services to help people with cognitive impairments? We cover this in our feature focused on age-friendly facilities on page 64
In today’s premium spa environment, every detail shapes the guest experience – right down to
the softness of towels and the freshness of linens. [more...]
+ More featured suppliers
COMPANY PROFILES
Spa Supply Solutions
Founded in 2014 by spa management expert Julie Bevilacqua, Spa Supply Solutions is a leader in spa p [more...]
Daily yoga and meditation were part of the wellness intervention plans / photo: shutterstock/bikeriderlondon
Since it was first discovered more than 100 years ago, Alzheimer’s disease has been without an effective treatment. Worldwide, nearly 44 million people are believed to be living with the brain disorder or other forms of dementia. By 2030 this could rise to nearly 76 million according to the US-based BrightFocus Foundation.
But the outlook may not be so bleak if the findings of a small US pilot study are anything to go by. Scientists at the Buck Institute for Research on Aging and the University of California, Los Angeles have discovered that lifestyle and wellness interventions have reversed memory loss in patients with Alzheimer’s disease for the first time. Although the results are anecdotal, the findings are “very encouraging” says study author and neurology professor Dr Dale Bredesen.
Individualised intervention As part of the trial, a group of experts put together a 36-point plan for 10 patients with Alzheimer’s. The plans included taking up yoga and meditation twice a day to reduce stress, exercise and getting an optimal seven to eight hours of sleep. They also comprised strict diet changes, including fasting (see SB14/4 p50).
Each plan was personalised, based on extensive testing to determine what was affecting brain signals in each patient. Although the programmes were difficult to follow – none of the participants were able to fully adhere to them – Bredesen believes a multiple-component approach is key. “The existing Alzheimer’s drug affects a single target, but the disease is more complex,” he says. “Imagine having a roof with 36 holes, and your drug patched one very well... You’d still have 35 other leaks, and so the underlying process may not be affected much.”
Promising results The results were promising, with nine out of the 10 patients seeing advancements in three to six months. The only patient not to benefit had late-stage Alzheimer’s.
Such were the improvements that six participants, who’d been struggling at work or had to stop because of cognitive issues, were able to return to their jobs. Meanwhile, those who stayed in employment showed increased performance. Bredesen adds: “It’s noteworthy that the major side effect of this therapeutic system are improved health and body mass index: a stark contrast to the side effects of many drugs.”
Further research Overall, the results suggest that memory loss may be reversed, and improvements sustained, by following a tailored therapeutic plan. Yet Bredesen cautions that further research is needed. “The current, anecdotal results require a larger trial, not only to confirm or refute the results reported here, but also to address key questions raised, such as the degree of improvement that can be achieved routinely, how late in the course of cognitive decline reversal can be effected... and how long improvement can be sustained,” he says.
Read more from this issue of Spa Business magazine
View contents of Spa Business 2015 issue 1
Letters: Letters
We need sales people in spas says consultant Helen Merchant
Interview -Rich Weissmann: Rich Weissmann
Weissmann, a partner at private equity firm KSL, talks spa investment with Rhianon Howells and reveals its plans for the Miraval brand
Wellness: All in the mind
Twin Peaks director David Lynch has a foundation which uses meditation to help those facing extreme trauma and stress. Julie Cramer talks to the foundation’s co-founder Bob Roth
How could spas adapt their design and services to help people with cognitive impairments? We cover this in our feature focused on age-friendly facilities on page 64
People taking GLP-1 weight loss medications such as Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro and Zepbound
may be losing weight, but they’re also becoming less physically active, according to new
research presented at the ENDO 2026 annual meeting of the Endocrine Society
Abu Dhabi-based investment firm Mubadala Capital has made a binding, fully financed
€1 billion
offer to acquire Pierre and Vacances SA, the European holiday resort operator behind the
continental European Center Parcs business.
Global retreat trade show, Synergy The Retreat Show, has launched a resource called The
Source, which hosts an open-access online Transformation Series programme.
The Standards Authority for Touch in Cancer Care (SATCC) charity has announced its first five-
day Living with Cancer and Beyond retreat, which will be held at Carden Park Hotel and Spa in
Cheshire, UK, between 1 and 5 September.
Patmos Aktis, a Luxury Collection Resort and Spa, has opened in Greece, with a renovated and
rebranded wellness offering called Ansana Wellness and Spa.
The Mauna Kea Beach Hotel, an Autograph Collection property in Hawaii, US, has opened its
22,000 sq ft indoor-outdoor Spa at Mauna Kea as the final step in the property’s overall
renovation, which has cost more than US$180 million (€166 million, £140 mill
The UK spa review and discovery platform for consumers, the Good Spa Guide, has announced
it will host the Good Spa Guide Awards 2026 during an event on 16 November at Sopwell House
Hotel in St Albans, UK.
Eighty-four per cent of consumers now say wellness is a top priority in their lives, with this
percentage increasing year on year, according to a preview presentation of McKinsey’s Future of
Wellness 2026 research report.
Mass protests have been taking place since Monday 1 June in Albania over the development of
a luxury resort by Donald Trump’s daughter Ivanka Trump and her husband Jared Kushner.
Global Wellness Day (GWD) marked its 15th anniversary on Saturday 13 June 2026, with the
theme: #JoyMagenta – a celebration of the healing qualities of simple gestures and activities
that spark joy.
In today’s premium spa environment, every detail shapes the guest experience – right down to
the softness of towels and the freshness of linens. [more...]
+ More featured suppliers
COMPANY PROFILES
Spa Supply Solutions Founded in 2014 by spa management expert Julie Bevilacqua, Spa Supply Solutions is a leader in spa p [more...]
