January 20, 2015

Today's Top Alzheimer's News

USA2 SPOTLIGHT 

A January 19, 2015 USA2 press release urged President Obama to prioritize funding for Alzheimer's disease research and related programs in his 2015 State of the Union Address. According to George Vradenburg, "Now is the time to renew our investment in biomedical research, including Alzheimer's disease…History has proven that a commitment to research investment has resulted in improvements in multiple diseases and conditions. As the baby boom generation ages and the number of people with Alzheimer's skyrockets, we cannot afford to shortchange this disease.  The United States must dramatically ramp up funding for the NIH and increase Alzheimer's research investment to $2 billion a year from the current level of about $585 million."


MUST READ

A January 19, 2015 St. Louis Post-Dispatch opinion piece by Dr. Larry J. Shapiro called for greater investment in medical research to stop diseases like Alzheimer's. According to Dr. Shapiro, "To beat Alzheimer’s disease and cancer and diabetes and the many other diseases we face, we need to invest in medical research. That means our lawmakers need to not only restore the budget of the National Institutes of Health, but provide stable, predictable growth for its future. Missouri patients and families, our nation’s brightest minds and innovators, our future prosperity, our national security, and, most importantly, our health all depend on it.” Dr. Larry J. Shapiro is executive vice chancellor for medical affairs and dean at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.


ENTERTAINMENT

A January 19, 2015 CBS News article reported that rock star Ozzy Osbourne and his wife Sharon Osbourne were screened for Alzheimer's. According to the article, "TV personality Sharon Osbourne says she's "terrified" she will develop Alzheimer's disease as she ages.The reality television star and husband, rocker Ozzy Osbourne, said they underwent genomic testing a few months ago at a university in England. The results indicate she has two of four gene mutations that are linked to this most common form of dementia..Osbourne's father, the music industry giant Don Arden, suffered from Alzheimer's disease until he passed away in 2007 at the age of 81. A family history is a strong indicator that Alzheimer's is a personal health risk."

A January 16, 2015 NPR interview with Julianne Moore highlighted her research process for the film "Still Alice" and her greater understanding of Alzheimer's. According to Moore, "It's not like you have a disease and you disappear, you go away, and that's it. There's so many people who are living with this disease, you know, it's a progressive disease. So it's about how do you stay present? How do you stay with the people that you love? How do you keep the life going that you value?…I found that people did retain a tremendous sense of self. So I think the questions that it raises [include] ... Who are our essential selves? Who are we, and why do we place value on one stage of life or one stage of cognitive ability and not another?"


POLITICS 

A January 20, 2015 Washington Post article fact checked President Obama's 2014 State of the Union, including a statement to "undo the damage done by last year’s cuts to basic research." According to the article, "The final spending bill for 2015 left the National Institutes of Health with a budget below pre-sequestration levels but did single out a few areas for increases, such as research on Alzheimer’s disease, pediatric research and the Ebola virus (and Ebola vaccine development)."

A January 17, 2015 Associated Press article profiled Senator Pat Toomey's (R-PA) new role in the majority. According to the article, "Toomey, a Republican, sees his leadership's promises to allow amendments as an avenue to getting things done for Pennsylvania…Toomey said he expects greater opportunities for everybody to pursue their pet legislation under a commitment by Republican leaders to allow amendments to legislation…He also wants to toughen background checks for teachers to screen out sex predators, get more money to the National Institutes of Health to fight Alzheimer's disease and ease the health care costs for businesses that hire military veterans. Passage of these measures could help Toomey help himself in the 2016 election, and vindicate Republican control of the Senate."