January 20, 2016

Today's Top News

USA2 SPOTLIGHT 

A January 19, 2016 Long-Term Living article reported that “The Brain Health Registry has partnered with the Global Alzheimer’s Platform Foundation to add tens of thousands of new people to the registry’s database to support Alzheimer’s research.” According to UsAgainstAlzheimer’s co-founderGeorge Vradenburg, “The cost of bringing an effective Alzheimer’s treatment to market is nearly three times the industry average for drug development. [We envision] not just a national, but a global pool of people and research trial sites standing ready to launch clinical trials around the world, thus greatly reducing the cost and time it takes to bring these promising treatments to market.”

 


MUST READS

January 20, 2016 Telegraph editorial (UK) called dementia “the most pressing medical and social problem facing the western world.” According to the editorial, “Getting the balance of treatment and care right is crucial since dementia is arguably the most pressing medical and social problem facing the western world. But making a diagnosis is one thing; coping with the growing numbers of sufferers quite another. A new report from the Alzheimer’s Society says standards of care are especially poor in some hospitals, where one quarter of patients have the condition. Yet it is clear they are not very good at dealing with it…In the end, what is needed is a cure; and it is towards finding one that the greatest efforts need to be directed.”

A January 19, 2016 UCLA Newsroom article reported on a UCLA School of Nursing study that is “the first to look at disease progression in the synapses — where brain cells transmit impulses.” According to the article, “The researchers analyzed autopsy tissue samples from different locations of the brains of patients who were considered cognitively normal and those who met the criteria for dementia. Using flow cytometry — a laser-based technology that suspends cells in a stream of fluid and passes them through an electronic detection apparatus — they measured the concentration of two of the known biochemical hallmarks of Alzheimer’s: amyloid beta and p-tau, proteins that when found in high levels in brain fluid are indicative of Alzheimer’s. This allowed the scientists to see large populations of individual synapses — more than 5,000 at a time — versus just two under a microscope.”

A January 19, 2016 CNBC article highlighted tips on how to deal with memory loss and finances. According to the article, “As soon as you recognize your parents are having memory issues, get yourself to an elder-law attorney's office to draft up a durable power of attorney that will allow you to make financial decisions on their behalf. Important, too, is a health-care proxy that names someone else as a medical decision maker if your parent is incapacitated. Without these documents, you'll be forced to petition the court to become your parent's legal guardian or the estate's conservator, a process that can take several months.”


INTERESTING READS FROM AROUND THE WEB

The Washington Post: Environmental toxin linked to dementia, study shows

Mayo Clinic: Work Schedule is Top Barrier to Staying Healthy, According to First-Ever Mayo Clinic National Health Check-Up®

Market Wired: Alzheimer's Foundation Of America Calls For $1 Billion Increase In Funding For Alzheimer's Research And Caregiver Supports In President's 2017 Budget 

Huffington Post: 5 of the Most Critical Tips for Alzheimer's Caregivers

Huffington PostAlzheimer's Patients in Nursing Homes

Yahoo! HealthB. Smith Opens Up to Dr. Oz About Living with Alzheimer’s Disease