May 25, 2017

Today’s Top Alzheimer’s News

MUST READS

A May 25, 2017 Alzheimer’s News Today article focused on the potential connection between firefighters and a heightened risk of developing dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. Firefighters are exposed to certain toxins that have already been linked to neurodegenerative diseases such as dementia including aluminum, lead, mercury, flame retardants, solvents, plasticizers, and air pollutants such as carbon monoxide. 

A May 24, 2017 Medscape article reported that biomarkers in saliva may help identify people at risk for developing Alzheimer's disease, according to a study published this month in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease. "We used metabolomics, a newer technique, to study molecules involved in metabolism. Our goal was to find unique patterns of molecules in the saliva of our study participants that could be used to diagnose Alzheimer's disease in the earliest stages, when treatment is considered most effective,” said Stewart Graham, PhD, from Oakland University.

RESEARCH, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

According to a May 22, 2017 Science Alert article, scientists from the VU University Medical Centre Amsterdam in the Netherlands discovered 40 new genes that appear to be linked to intelligence, which could help neurologists understand how the human brain develops key functions associated with thinking. The team found a number of relationships between genes and characteristics relating to body mass, schizophrenia and Alzheimer's disease.

GLOBAL PERSPECTIVES

A May 22, 2017 The Guardian article spotlighted UK Prime Minister, Theresa May, under scrutiny for policies outlined in her party’s proposed Welsh Tory manifesto just before the general election. The manifesto promises an “absolute limit” on how much people will pay for social care at home, but does not indicate where the cap will be set. According to the manifesto, people requiring this type of care would pay for it until the value of their assets – including their home – reached a floor of £100,000, and a family home would never be sold in a person’s lifetime, with costs recouped after death. May is accused of levying a “dementia tax” - indicating that someone suffering from Alzheimer’s would be less able to pass on their home to their children than someone with an NHS-treated condition such as cancer.