October 16, 2015

Today's Top Alzheimer's News

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An October 15, 2015 Variety.com article reported that the “Women’s Brain Health Initiative celebrated its West Coast debut at Gagosian Gallery in Beverly Hills on Wednesday night with help from some glamorous supporters like Anne Heche, Camilla Belle and Molly Sims.” According to the article, “‘I think we’re stronger in numbers,’ agreed Heche, who came out to support her manager of 12 years, Alissa Vradenburg, and her parents, Alzheimer’s foundation founders Trish and George Vradenburg.”


MUST READS

An October 16, 2015 NewsMax.com article reported that “Traces of fungus have been discovered in the brains of Alzheimer's sufferers, researchers said Thursday, relaunching the question: might the disease be caused by an infectious microbe?” 

An October 16, 2015 Reuters article reported that “Nestle, famous for its coffee and chocolate, is stepping up investment in nutritional therapy, a business it believes will eventually generate annual sales of 10 billion Swiss francs ($10.5 billion).” According to the article, “The goal is to find novel ways to treat and prevent different types of diseases using nutritional approaches, from gastrointestinal problems to Alzheimer's. It is a bold move by the world's largest packaged food company and requires Nestle to engage in discussions with regulators such as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which Behar said were going well.”

An October 15, 2015 U.S. News & World Report article highlighted three reasons for caregivers to prioritize self care. According to the article, “A 2011 study from the National Alliance for Caregiving tracked the health of 1,222 people who provided care for someone with Alzheimer’s disease. Over an 18 month period, the study found caregivers’ self-reported health declined and their health care usage increased. Overall, they had double the visits to the emergency room and nearly triple the visits to physicians as similar aged non-caregivers. While the study encouraged further research, it did suggest that respite services for caregivers could improve their health.”