April 29, 2015

Today's Top Alzheimer's News

USA2 SPOTLIGHT

An April 29, 2015 Huffington Post blog post by USAgainstAlzheimer’s Chairman George Vradenburg highlighted the power of big data to fight Alzheimer’s. According to Vradenburg, “Modern technology now makes it possible to collect so-called Big Data on entire populations, opening up new possibilities for AD research. Today, genetic, imaging and even sensor data can be collected on massive numbers of people with strong privacy and security protections. Unlike the traditional research approach that relies on one or a small number of labs' work on data to publish a limited set of findings months or years later, big data allows a global network of researchers to gain access to each other and to citizen-generated data for collaborative and patient-focused research. The challenge before us is to mine all this data to unearth the clues to understand and then beat Alzheimer's. And soon…Hope is on the horizon, as we can see a future where privacy-protected biomedical data can be shared to advance scientific research across a global community of diverse experts. Today in the UK, there is the 2 million volunteer Dementia Project. In the US, it's President Obama's recently announced million person DNA sequencing initiative. In business, its Apple's recent announcement of ResearchKit which will leverage the world's 700 million iPhone users to collect and analyze new types of data in asthma, breast cancer, diabetes and Parkinson's Disease. AD#1 exposed the impediments that limit the full potential of Big Data to address medicine's most taxing unmet medical needs. Let's think of what we can do for those at risk for Alzheimer's and let loose the innovation promised by 21st century citizen science.”

Must Watch: Retire-To.com will host a live webcast interview with Rev. Dr. Richard Morgan, a founder of ClergyAgainstAlzheimer’s. The webcast will start at 3PM CDT on April 29th. Dr. Morgan is a retired Presbyterian pastor, author, hospice volunteer, and founder of the ClergyAgainstAlzheimer's national network. In addition to his seminary training, Dr. Morgan holds an MA in Counseling and training in clinical pastoral education; and is the author or coauthor of 20 books. 


MUST READS

An April 29, 2015 Wall Street Journal opinion piece by Maddy Dychtwald outlined a vision of a future free of Alzheimer’s. According to Dychtwald, “But fast forward to the future when we woke up from that nightmare with a cure that combines advanced stem cell therapeutics, precision pharmaceuticals, trans-cranial direct-current stimulation and a highly specific lifestyle regimen. The results have been phenomenal. Suddenly cognitively impaired older adults who had been either living in long-term-care facilities or at home with around-the-clock caregiving could not only live with dignity but gain back their ability to remember, think, and live active lives again. And, it transformed the way everyone thinks about aging and the potential for the later years of life. With the end of Alzheimer’s disease, the world has changed for us in some very significant ways. More than half of all nursing-home beds have been emptied, saving hundreds of billions of dollars for families and governments world-wide. Tens of millions of caregivers have been unshackled from the burden of providing physical, emotional and financial care to loved ones suffering from the disease. And the health of these caregivers has improved dramatically, giving them a second chance at life.”

An April 28, 2015 Roll Call article reported that Sen. Richard Durbin (D-IL) called for increased medical research funding at an event at Georgetown University. According to the article, “He explained how, with assistance of staff, he bundled together a bunch of budget resolution amendments from both sides of the aisle pertaining to research. “What I’m try to do is to create this bipartisan coalition behind this,” Durbin said. “The difficulty — Newt Gingrich can write all the articles he wants in The New York Times about how we need this research — the difficulty is to get the Republicans to the point of figuring out how to pay for it.” A longtime foe of the cigarette (and more recently, the e-cigarette business), Durbin was up front in saying he wanted to increase taxes to help bankroll his effort to increase research funding…He relayed a conversation about medical research funding, and said increasing funding could pay for itself with advances like those that could delay the onset of or eventually eliminate Alzheimer’s disease. Costs for the care and treatment of Alzheimer’s patients are often borne by the government through Medicare and Medicaid.”

An April 28, 2015 Huffington Post Impact blog by Dr. Pierre Tariot underscored the need to develop “a national model of care that would provide greater support for the millions more family caregivers whose loved ones will be struck by dementia in coming decades.” According to Dr. Tariot, “In roughly 30 years of working with Alzheimer's patients and families, I have come to realize that what seems obvious can also be profound: if we paid just a moderate amount of attention to family caregivers, and got just a modest improvement in patient care, we would have a huge impact on countless lives.”

An April 27, 2015 Minnesota Star Tribune article by advocate Nancy Wurtzel called on readers to support the Alzheimer's Research and Support Act in Minnesota. According to Wurtzel, “irst, we have research institutions in our state that are poised to find possible treatments for Alzheimer's and this bill provides monies for this vital research. Additionally, the SF247 support section provides consultation, informational materials and resources needed by struggling caregivers across our state. It is difficult to find a Minnesota family not affected by Alzheimer's or another form of degenerative memory loss. Those living with the disease and their families and caregivers often feel powerless. This is your chance to take back some power. You can make an impact today by helping to pass this important piece of legislation.”


RESEARCH, SCIENCE, AND TECHNOLOGY 

An April 29, 2015 News Medical article reported that “scientists from the Florida campus of The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) have uncovered some surprising details of a group of compounds that have shown significant potential in stimulating the growth of brain cells and memory restoration in animal models that mimic Alzheimer's disease.”

An April 28, 2015 Associated Press article (via The Charlotte Observer) reported on the employee health space incorporating genetic testing into its business. According to the article, “Genetic testing in corporate wellness programs also is relatively uncharted territory. Many employers and insurers cover these tests and counseling for medical reasons, like helping people determine if they are more prone to certain cancers. And earlier this year, President Obama asked Congress to approve spending on medical research into using a patient's genes to tailor care.”