Retrospective case studies of the efficacy of caprylic triglyceride in mild-to-moderate Alzheimer's disease

Abstract

Under normal conditions, the adult human brain is fueled primarily by glucose. A prominent feature of Alzheimer's disease (AD) is region-specific decreases in cerebral glucose metabolism. Ketone bodies are a group of compounds produced from fat stores during periods of low glucose availability that can provide an alternative to glucose for brain metabolism. Consumption of sufficient quantities of caprylic triglyceride (CT) increases plasma concentrations of ketone bodies and may be beneficial in conditions of compromised glucose metabolism, such as AD. The present study describes the use of CT in mild-to-moderate AD in routine clinical practice. Case records from eight patients with extensive monitoring of cognitive function using the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and who had received CT for ≥6 months were reviewed. All were outpatients aged ≥50 years, cared for in standard practice, had a diagnosis of probable AD of mild-to-moderate severity (MMSE 14-24), and had received CT for at least 6 months in addition to other approved pharmacotherapy for AD. Response to CT administration as measured by MMSE scores varied by patient. However, the rate of decline in MMSE scores appeared slower than previously published reports for patients treated with pharmacotherapy alone. Profiling of individual patients may provide insight regarding those most likely to benefit from addition of CT to currently approved AD pharmacotherapy.

Keywords: Alzheimer’s disease; cognition; glucose; ketosis; metabolism.

Figure 1

(A–H) Changes in MMSE scores for the cases reviewed (the dashed line in each panel indicates initiation of CT). Abbreviations: CT, caprylic triglyceride; MMSE, Mini-Mental State Examination.

Figure 2

Mean values for MMSE at initial measurement, start of CT, and last measurement on CT (error bars are standard deviations, with median and range shown in each bar). Abbreviations: CT, caprylic triglyceride; MMSE, Mini-Mental State Examination.