February 10, 2014

Today's Top Alzheimer's News

Alzheimer's and Black history month, why Americans spend so much on pharmaceuticals, and the latest Alzheimer's related editorials (read more). 

 

Must reads

  • A February 10, 2014 Fox 59 article and video segment highlighted the increased risk of Alzheimer's in the African American community. According to the article, "Greene also learned her family’s risk of Alzheimer’s and dementia is high. African-Americans are more likely to develop Alzheimer’s or dementia than whites, according to the Alzheimer’s Association 2013 Facts and Figures report.“Almost twice as many African-Americans will have a dementia of some sort and primarily that is related to the linkage of heart-related diseases and Alzheimer’s disease,” said Amanda Janz, the information and referral coordinator at the Greater Indiana Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association."
  • A February 7, 2014 PBS NewsHour article explored why Americans "spend so much on pharmaceuticals." According to the article, "Overall, Americans use more medicines than people in other developed countries. They rank first for their use of antipsychotics as well as drugs for dementia, respiratory problems and rheumatoid arthritis. This is partly explained by medical needs: The burden of disease in the U.S. — as measured in “years of life lost” — is higher than in many OECD countries for the most common forms of heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases, diabetes, and Alzheimer’s. Several factors may explain this, including high levels of obesity and high rates of diagnosis."
Editorial coverage 
  • A February 8, 2014 The National (UAE) editorial called for immediate action to tackle Alzheimer's disease in the UAE. According to the authors, "The more awareness people have, the fewer people will suffer. With the UAE’s ageing population, it is clear that we have to do more now before it is too late."
  • A February 8, 2014 Washington Post editorial highlighted NIH's collaboration with the pharmaceutical industry to speed drug development. According to the editorial, "Dr. Collins is confronting a complex set of scientific and economic problems. We hope his approach succeeds in translating the surge of scientific data into concrete advances for human health."