August 24, 2017

Today’s Top Alzheimer’s News

USA2 SPOTLIGHT

An August 24, 2017 Triad City Beat article spotlighted Dr. Goldie Byrd of NC A&T, who has been instrumental in increasing participation of underrepresented groups like African Americans and Latinos in Alzheimer’s clinical trials. Through Dr. Byrd’s myriad efforts, the bank of data on African Americans with AD has dramatically expanded. According to Byrd, “Our hope is there will be therapies and interventions that are specific to populations and not generalized. The advantage of doing studies is that we’ll be much more inclusive and everyone will benefit.” Dr. Byrd is a Founder of the AfricanAmericansAgainstAlzheimer's Network, and is the Project Lead of the Alzheimer's & Dementia Disparities Engagement Network.


MUST READS

An August 23, 2017 Reuters article reported on the potential link between lithium and Alzheimer’s disease. A study in Denmark looked at levels in drinking water. Long-term consumption of tiny amounts may reduce the risk of AD and other dementias. However, Dr. Brent Forester of McLean Hospital (Harvard Medical School affiliate) said he would not advise people to use lithium to ward off Alzheimer's because the drug can harm the kidneys.


An August 23, 2017 Forbes article focused on the effects of a cheap, simple, non-invasive Alzheimer’s test. Such a successful test would require extensive thought about about medical, ethical and financial consequences, specifically for both the long-term care insurance industry and drug research.


An August 23, 2017 Drug Discovery & Development article interviewed Jeff Cummings, MD, Director of the Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health, about the possibility of FDA approval for an Alzheimer’s treatment drug by 2025, a goal set by the Obama administration. The interview focused on biomarkers, clinical trial recruitment obstacles and repurposed FDA-approved agents.


According to an August 23, 2017 Ottawa Herald opinion piece by Sen. Jerry Moran (R-Kan), we must continue to prioritize medical research through today’s investments, specifically by supporting the National Institutes of Health, which plays a critical role directing our medical research community. Moran toured NIH headquarters to see the work being done there. According to Moran, “After touring NIH’s facilities and discussing research progress on neurodegenerative diseases — specifically, Alzheimer’s — it is clear, now more than ever, that sustained funding for the NIH is essential for the next generation of Americans and will help lower health care costs in the future.”