September 10, 2014
Today's Top Alzheimer's News
U.S. Rep. Peter Roskam talks about the need to increase Alzheimer's funding, dementia cases in the UK set to rise sharply by next summer, and NPR talks to researchers about the negative impact of budget cuts on research (read more).
Must reads and watch
- A September 9, 2014 Barrington Courier-Review article reported that "U.S. Rep. Peter Roskam (R-IL) visited the Barrington Area Library on Sept. 8 to discuss the need for Alzheimer’s research, which he said is vastly underfunded by the federal government." According to the article, "In an event hosted by the Alzheimer’s Association of America’s Greater Illinois Chapter, Roskam said the cost of caring for Alzheimer’s patients greatly outweighs the funds generated for research.Such research, he said, could potentially slow or stop Alzheimer’s, which is one of the most expensive diseases in America due to the number of people affected…“We are hungry for a transformational moment on some of these things,” said Roskam."
- A September 9, 2014 The Independent article reported that a new UK report finds "that those affected by dementia is rising sharply and will reach 850,000 by next summer." According to the article, "Dementia UK: The Second Edition, prepared by the London School of Economics and King’s College London, reveals how people with dementia and their carers are left footing a £5.8bn social care bill for help with everyday tasks such as washing and dressing. The authors say that the 1.3bn hours of unpaid care that carers, usually spouses or adult children, provide would cost the state £11.6bn if they did not provide it for free. Meanwhile the current cost of dementia diagnosis and treatment to the NHS comes in at £4.3bn, while local authorities pick up a further £4.5bn, according to the authors."
- A September 9, 2014 ET Canada article and video clip reported that Seth Rogen appeared on The Meredith Vieira Show to talk about his efforts to raise awareness of Alzheimer's. According to the article, ""I understood very little honestly," Seth admitted to the TV host when asked about his initial understanding of the illness. "I think I had been exposed to what pop culture had shown me about it, which was a very romanticized version... You forget your keys, you tell the same story and everyone laughs. That’s really not at all what it was like." The actor added, "I honestly had no idea there was nothing that could be done about it. I think that was the most shocking.""
Research, science, and technology
- A September 9, 2014 NPR article and audio segment highlighted the impact of declining research budgets on researchers. According to the article, "The root cause is plain, and it's not just about a current shortage in funding: The NIH budget shot steadily upward from 1998 to 2003. That spawned great jubilation in biomedicine and a gold-rush mentality. But it didn't last. Since 2004, the NIH budget has decreased by more than 20 percent. (That's not counting the hefty two-year bump the budget got from stimulus funds via the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.)"
- A September 9, 2014 BBC News article reported that the "Long-term use of pills for anxiety and sleep problems may be linked to Alzheimer's." According to the article, "A study of older Canadian adults found that past benzodiazepine use for three months or more was linked to an increased risk (up to 51%) of dementia…The study involved about 2,000 cases of Alzheimer's disease in adults aged over 66 living in Quebec. All had been prescribed benzodiazepines. They were compared with about 7,000 healthy people of the same age living in the same community. While an increased risk was found in those on benzodiazepines, the nature of the link was unclear."
- A September 9, 2014 Silicon Valley Business Journal article reported that PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel wants Silicon Valley to focus more on solving big problems like Alzheimer's. According to the article, "Too many founders in the Valley are focused on "bits" and not enough on "atoms," he said. Starting a Big Data analytics company that can predict who will develop Alzheimer’s is an example of a "bits" company. Working on a cure for Alzheimer's is what he would call founding an "atoms" company. Thiel said that despite being a noted contrarian thinker — he is the person who funds young founders on the agreement they drop out of college — he accepts most of what is common wisdom."