August 16, 2013

Today's Top Alzheimer's News

Infographic on early dementia risk factors, a teen raises dementia awareness and funding, and the negative impacts of sequestration on medical research (read more).

 

Must reads

  • An August 16, 2013 Men's Health article reported on risk factors for early-onset dementia. The article includes an infographic  that outlines the highest risk factors including stroke and alcohol intoxication. 
  • An August 15, 2013 Toronto Star article reported on a Toronto teen's efforts to raise awareness and funding for neurological diseases and dementia. According to the article, "Only 17 and going into Grade 12 at Toronto’s Marc Garneau Collegiate Institute, the teenager has spent the last two years elevating community awareness of neurological disease and at the same time raising $10,000 in research money. He’s the founder of the Initiative for Neuroscience and Dementia — established in late 2011 — and says the non-profit organization is now in seven Ontario schools, with 300 members, and has completed more than 15 awareness campaigns."
 
Sequestration 
  • An August 15, 2013 In The Capital article highlighted the impact of sequestration on federally funded science research. According to the article, "NIH is not the only government agency involved in health research that is being forced to cut back due to the sequester. The American Association for the Advancement of Science is cutting $9.3 billion in research funding and the Department of Defense, which also awards research grants, is cutting $6.4 billion."
  • An August 15, 2013 Philadelphia Tribune article reported on Sen. Bob Casey's (D-PA) efforts to combat the effects of sequestration on medical research. According to the article, "Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa., concerned with effects the ongoing sequestration is having on the field of medical research, visited the downtown Philadelphia branch of the American Cancer Society to both participate in a roundtable discussion with survivors and talk up federal funding for the National Institute of Health." Sen. Casey stated, "But I will continue fighting to focus on the issue of medical research and all of its benefits for it, including the benefits and the obvious hope and healing that comes from this research and investment in research."
 
Funding 
  • An August 15, 2013 Houston Chronicle article reported that "the Houston-based Huffington Foundation has pledged $5 million to a multi-institutional effort to study and treat Alzheimer’s and other brain diseases." According to the article, "The foundation gift will help the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Baylor College of Medicine and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology match a $25 million donation that established the Neurodegeneration Consortium last year. The consortium has now raised $15 million of the required match."