March 25, 2016

Today's Top News

MUST READS

March 25, 2016 STAT News article reported that a new STAT-Harvard Poll found that “Nearly half of those polled — 47 percent — said cancer is the most serious disease or health condition in the United States today.” According to the article, “The rest weren’t even close: 11 percent said heart disease was the most serious, 8 percent said diabetes, and obesity and HIV/AIDS came in at 6 percent each. Only 3 percent picked Alzheimer’s disease, despite all the attention it’s getting from lawmakers and advocacy groups in Washington.”

A March 24, 2016 Atlas Obscura article profiled a 30-year partnership between brain researchers and nuns to advance Alzheimer’s research. According to the article, “The match was almost too good to be true: the School Sisters of Notre Dame’s mission is to teach and open schools around the world. When they learned that they could help others learn about Alzheimer’s disease, a tragic and extreme form of dementia that typically begins after age 60, the sisters were happy to find they could do so even after their deaths…The participants of the Nun Study included 678 women, all over age 75, with some already exhibiting Alzheimer’s symptoms. Since the sisters at the convent lived similar lifestyles, many factors could immediately be ruled out, providing some experimental control. Over the next few decades the Sisters dutifully took cognitive, memory and physical strength tests: recalling word lists, pulling on weighted cords, and getting physical and mental checkups.”

A March 24, 2016 The New York Times article reported that “The N.F.L. played down the risk of head injuries using research that it falsely claimed was comprehensive.” According to the article, “For the last 13 years, the N.F.L. has stood by the research, which, the papers stated, was based on a full accounting of all concussions diagnosed by team physicians from 1996 through 2001. But confidential data obtained by The Times shows that more than 100 diagnosed concussions were omitted from the studies — including some severe injuries to stars like quarterbacks Steve Young and Troy Aikman. The committee then calculated the rates of concussions using the incomplete data, making them appear less frequent than they actually were.”

A March 24, 2016 Westfaironline.com article highlighted the importance of clinical trials to fighting Alzheimer’s. According to the article, “Medical researchers have made great strides in understanding Alzheimer’s disease, but for lack of participants in clinical trials they are falling short of breakthrough treatments for the fearsome affliction. ‘This is the disease of our time,’ said Karen Bell, a professor of neurology at Columbia University Medical Center. ‘A giant wave of baby boomers has aged into the population at risk for this disease. We cannot rely on current medications,’ she said.’We have to do something to stamp out this illness.’”


INTERESTING READS FROM AROUND THE WEB

Consumer Affairs: Discovery could lead to improved cognitive function in Alzheimer's patients and the elderly

The Washington Post: Energetically exercising may dramatically cut your risk of dementia

The Wall Street Journal: What the Presidential Candidates Are Missing With Older Voters

AlzForum: Mobile Phone App for Parkinson’s Patients Tests New Model for Data Sharing

Fortune: 7 New Blockbuster Drugs to Watch in 2016