August 26, 2015

Today's Top Alzheimer's News

MUST READS

An August 25, 2015 Roll Call opinion piece by FDA associate commissioner Peter Pitts called for the senate to pass the 21st Century Cures Act. According to Pitts, “This legislation has come at a pivotal time in medicine. It will help researchers get new and better treatments to patients sooner, which could significantly reduce healthcare costs. At a recent hearing, Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, noted that the treatment of Alzheimer’s and dementia could cost the United States $226 billion this year alone, yet funding for research into new treatments for these disease was only a quarter of that level. With more research dollars and access to better medications, people could be living more fulfilling lives at a lower cost to the government.”

A Time article reported that “more than 46 million people around the world suffer from dementia, according to a report released Tuesday.” According to the article, “The report also noted that 58% of all people with dementia reside in developing countries. By 2050, 68% of those with dementia will be located in low and middle income countries, where services are limited and populations are aging quickly.”


RESEARCH, SCIENCE, AND TECHNOLOGY 

An August 25, 2015 NanoWerk.com article reported that “Scientists have caught a glimpse of the elusive toxic form of the Alzheimer's molecule, during its attempt to bore into the outer covering of a cell decoy, using a new method involving laser light and fat-coated silver nanoparticles.”

An August 25, 2015 MedScape.com article reported that “More than a third of apolipoprotein E (APOE) ε4 noncarriers diagnosed with mild to moderate Alzheimer's dementia have minimal amyloid plaque in the cerebral cortex, autopsies performed on these patients show.”