USA2 SPOTLIGHT

Reminder: Our next Alzheimer's Talks will be on Friday, April 17th from 3 to 4 p.m. ET and feature Greg O'Brien. Greg is the author of On Pluto: Inside the Mind of Alzheimer's, and you may have heard him on NPR's All Things Considered or in webisodes about his life produced by USAgainstAlzheimer's. Sign up here.

MUST READS AND WATCH

Must Watch: An April 8, 2015 WCSH6 NBC broadcast segment highlighted Senator Susan Collins’ appearance at the 10th Annual Geriatrics Day Conference in Maine. According to Sen. Collins, “If we don’t change the trajectory of this disease [Alzheimer's] not only is it going to continue to bring so much heartache and suffering to families, it’s going to bankrupt our health system.”

An April 8, 2015 Big Think article reported on new research from Rush University Medical Center on the benefits of eating leafy greens to stave off Alzheimer’s disease. According to the article, “Alzheimer's disease doesn't get the attention it deserves, although the thought of it terrifies many of us. One reason for this is that it happens to those at the end of their lives — out of sight, out of mind — but people don't realize how much the disease affects the families of the individual diagnosed (until it's already happened). If you fear losing your sense of self toward the second half of your life, Martha Clare Morris from Rush University Medical Center and leader of a recent study, says to eat more leafy greens…Losing one's memory or cognitive abilities is one of the biggest fears for people as they get older. Since declining cognitive ability is central to Alzheimer's disease and dementias, increasing consumption of green, leafy vegetables could offer a very simple, affordable and noninvasive way of potentially protecting your brain from Alzheimer's disease and dementia.”

RESEARCH, SCIENCE, AND TECHNOLOGY

An April 8, 2015 Seattle Times article reported that new research from the Mayo Clinic suggests that computer use and “socializing, crafting and engagement in the arts also may help aging people to hold cognitive impairment at bay.” According to the article, “A Mayo Clinic Study of Aging found that among cognitively healthy people 85 to 89 who were followed for four years, engaging in significant social activity in mid- and late life drove down the risk of developing mild cognitive impairment by 55 percent. Engaging in craft projects in mid- to late life drove risk of such intellectual decline down 45 percent. And compared with those who did not use a computer in late life, those who did were 53 percent less likely to develop mild cognitive impairment in their late 80s or early 90s.”

An April 7, 2015 mHealth News article reported that “The AARP is joining forces with UnitedHealthcare and Pfizer in what's expected to be the first of several projects to test mHealth devices for the 50+ crowd.” According to the article, “This first project, dubbed Project Catalyst, focuses on six popular sleep and activity trackers. “Technology that is designed well – designed for all – can be used by a 5-year-old and a 95-year-old alike," Jody Holtzman, the AARP's senior vice president of thought leadership, said in a press release. “The goals of Project Catalyst are in direct alignment with the mission of AARP – to identify challenges and determine solutions to improve the quality of life for people as they age.””

BIG DATA  

An April 8, 2015 The New York Times article reported that insurance companies like John Hancock are leveraging big data to monitor and reward enrollees for being healthy. According to the article, “The concept — which has been used in South Africa, where Vitality is based, Europe, Singapore and Australia — has the potential to transform the way life insurance is priced, at least for consumers who are willing to continually share their health data. But it also raises questions about how that information will be protected — and whether it could be used in ways that ultimately work against a consumer’s best interests. People who sign up will receive a free Fitbit monitor, which can be set to automatically upload activity levels to the insurer. The most active customers may earn a discount of up to 15 percent on their premiums, in addition to Amazon gift cards, half-price stays at Hyatt hotels and other perks.”