USA2 SPOTLIGHT

A June 10, 2015 Augusta Free Press article highlighted the introduction of Senators Mark Warner (D-VA) and Johnny Isakson’s (R-GA) Care Planning Act of 2015 which creates a Medicare benefit for patient-centered care planning for people with serious illness. The release quoted USAgainstAlzheimer’s Jason Resendez, “Latinos struggle every day to manage multiple chronic conditions like diabetes and Alzheimer’s, making care planning and coordination services essential to improving health outcomes for the nation’s Latino community. We applaud Senators Warner and Isakson for their efforts to empower patients and caregivers through the Care Planning Act.” 

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A June 11, 2015 Brisbane Times article profiled one Australian couple’s life with early onset dementia. According to the article, “It took four years of increasing frustration and confusing to arrive at the real diagnosis in 2011: posterior cortical atrophy (PCA), a form of dementia that steadily erodes a patient's visual recognition skills. By 2012, aged only 54, Mr Trinca had to give up his job…Mr Trinca is one of the 25,100 Australians under the age of 65 with dementia, according to Australia's largest Alzheimer's charity. It's considered a disease of the very old, but one in 13 dementia patients is under retirement age, and it's been diagnosed in those in their 40s and 30s.”

A June 10, 2015 Time article reported that a study published in the journal Neurology found “that people who report higher levels of intellectual stimulation throughout their lifetimes don’t actually exhibit lower levels of protein plaques and other signs of Alzheimer’s compared to those who don’t.” However, according to the article, “they also found that staying mentally and socially active can push back the appearance of memory problems and other symptoms of Alzheimer’s. So while the results don’t show that mental activity can affect the biology of Alzheimer’s in any way, it can have a meaningful impact on symptoms. And that is 'huge,' says Dr. David Knopman, professor of neurology at Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, who reviewed the paper and recommended it for publication. ‘If that resulted in a year or two delay in symptoms across the population, that would be a huge effect.’”

POLITICS AND POLICY  

A June 10, 2015 UpMatters.com article reported that Senator Gary Peters (D-MI) announced he is cosponsoring the Health Outcomes, Planning, and Education (HOPE) for Alzheimer’s Act. The HOPE Act would provide Alzheimer’s patients and their families with critical information about the disease and treatment options. 

A June 9, 2015 MidWeekWire.com article reported that Rep. Mike Fitzpatrick (R-PA) called for a $200 million increase in Alzheimer’s research funding through the National Institutes of Health. According to Rep. Fitzpatrick, “It is vital that we act now to head off what could be a crisis within the next generation. By working year round to provide increased information and needed resources, we can take meaningful steps toward defeating this debilitating disease.” Rep. Fitzpatrick is also a co-sponsor of the Health Outcomes, Planning and Education for Alzheimer’s (HOPE) Act. 

RESEARCH, SCIENCE, AND TECHNOLOGY  

A June 10, 2015 U.S. News & World Report article reported that a new study suggests that “Certain brain proteins can be detected in the blood of people long before they develop Alzheimer's disease and may offer a way to diagnose and treat the disease earlier.” According to the article, “The proteins -- called lysosomal proteins -- play a role in the removal of damaged nerve cell material. The researchers discovered that blood levels of these proteins were higher in people with normal memory and thinking abilities up to 10 years before they developed Alzheimer's disease. The findings were published online June 10 in the journal Neurology. 'These proteins are in very tiny nerve cell-derived blood particles called exosomes,' study author Dr. Edward Goetzl explained in a journal news release. 'Abnormal levels of the proteins may be useful [signals] that could help us study early treatments to limit or reverse the damage to brain cells and even prevent the development of the full-blown disease.' Goetzl is professor of medicine with the University of California, San Francisco, and a researcher at the U.S. National Institute on Aging.”

CAREGIVING PERSPECTIVES   

A June 10, 2015 Huffington Post Healthy Living post by an Alzheimer’s caregiver highlighted the importance of “acceptance” to his caregiving journey. According to the author, “Acceptance of Alzheimer's hurts. It hurts a lot. And it keeps on hurting. I had no way of knowing just how much more pain was to come after my initial acceptance of that diagnosis. But that pain came. And that pain continues to come. I have accepted that there is no way to effectively treat Alzheimer's disease. I have accepted that there is no cure, and Clare will continue to decline. And I have accepted that Clare will eventually die from Alzheimer's. I am not in denial. I'm really not. I have accepted our "new normal." But even after all these months of living apart, even as Clare's symptoms have continued to worsen, I am finding it very hard "letting go" of her. I know, in time, I will have to do a better job of letting go, of getting on more with my own life. But not yet. Acceptance is just one of many emotions one must deal with as an Alzheimer's spouse.”