RESEARCH AND SCIENCE

A February 19, 2019 Medical Xpress article spotlighted work from University of Alabama researchers which shows that tiny roundworms, C. elegans, which share roughly half their genes with humans, can replicate genetic causes of Alzheimer's disease. According to the article, “The worms have been used to study aspects of Alzheimer's disease before, but now the UA researchers were able to show that humanized worms can be generated to emulate conditions seen in humans with genetic variation in a certain protein called Apolipoprotein E, or ApoE, for short.”

DISPARITIES SPOTLIGHT

A February 19, 2019 Medical Xpress article looked at ethnoracial disparities in Alzheimer’s disease. Mayo Clinic researchers found that Hispanic-Americans live an average of 12 years longer with Alzheimer’s disease, from the onset of symptoms, than other ethnoracial groups. According to the article, “Hispanic-Americans were slightly less likely to have the genetic variant, known as APOE ε4, which is thought to increase Alzheimer's risk. The study also found distinctions in the distribution throughout the brain of specific Alzheimer's proteins and the presence of concurrent neurodegenerative processes, which may be relevant to research looking for biomarkers to diagnose the disease.”

MUST WATCH

AARP celebrates and congratulates its 2018 Purpose Prize Winners, older adults who used their experience to give back, solve problems and change lives. “The AARP Purpose Prize is all about a new story of aging — focusing on experience and innovation and the idea that our aging population is an untapped resource full of possibilities. AARP Purpose Prize winners and nominees are role models. They are makers and doers who are out there creating new solutions that make the world a better place for people of all ages,” said AARP’s Jo Ann Jenkins.

A February 19, 2019 Rochester First broadcast segment interviewed Dr. Carol Podgorski of UR Medicine about the SPRINT MIND Trial, which examined the link between blood pressure and Alzheimer’s disease. According to Podgorski, “What this trial has shown is that intensive treatment to reduce blood pressure to 120 can make such a difference. It can reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s, the risk of cognitive impairment, by 19 percent.” 

CAREGIVING CORNER

Take the MIT “Visiting Someone in a US hospital” Research Survey. Participate in the three-minute survey if you have visited a loved one in a hospital setting, or have been a primary caretaker of a patient in the US healthcare system.

CLINICAL TRIAL SPOTLIGHT

A February 18, 2019 OPB article spotlighted a new clinical trial of the Alzheimer’s disease drug, gantenerumab, at The Memory Health Center at Summit Research Network in Portland, OR, which is recruiting participants with mild cognitive impairment. According to Dr. Scott Losk, “Everyone is forgetful sometimes. But memory issues such as forgetting your usual walking route or having trouble following a familiar recipe may be signs of early Alzheimer’s. People with these kinds of memory issues or those with a diagnosis of early Alzheimer’s disease could qualify for a study that is evaluating if an investigational medicine works in a new way to keep the disease from worsening.” Find out if you qualify here.