October 7, 2019

Today's Top Alzheimer's News

USA2 SPOTLIGHT

An October 2, 2019 Hingham Wicked Local article spotlighted Wesley and Samantha Bevins, who hosted a golf tournament at the South Shore Country Club for the benefit of UsAgainstAlzheimer’s, with help from the Hingham High golf team. Their father has early-onset AD. According to the article, “George Vradenburg, Founder and Chairman of UsAgainstAlzheimer’s (USA2) sent Wesley and Samantha an email saying, “We know that $12,000 invested in advocacy will produce up to $2.5 million in additional government funding — so this investment can transform the course of this disease and the lives of millions of American families.” What a powerful community event, the day was spectacular! There were nearly 40 golfers, but just as many donations and hole sponsorships from people who just wanted to support this worthy cause.”

FAITH SPOTLIGHT

An October 5, 2019 Tracey Lind “Interrupted by God” blog post addressed the potential for denial when facing Alzheimer’s disease, and drew a parable to Lazarus who was rendered, “begging for crumbs of time and attention, respect and compassion, care and concern, and perhaps, most importantly, friendship and companionship.” The Very Reverend Tracey Lind, who has early-onset Alzheimer’s disease, wrote, “Friends, we do have a growing crisis of dementia in our midst and a growing opportunity for compassion. We need our churches to be visible communities of acceptance, belonging, and concern where people living with dementia and their families can find a home of welcome and embrace.” Lind is an UsAgainstAlzheimer’s advocate.

MUST READS

An October 3, 2019 Newsweek article highlighted the recent large grants going toward Alzheimer’s research. The Indiana University School of Medicine received $36 million, and MAC Inc. received $1 million. The Center for Neurodegenerative Disease Research at the University of Pennsylvania received $18.1 million, and a whopping $50 million went to the University of Washington Medicine via a private donation.

GLOBAL PERSPECTIVES

An October 7, 2019 Medical Xpress article reported that a new study from the University of Eastern Finland found that people with Alzheimer’s disease who used antipsychotic drugs were in the hospital an average of 11 days more per year than people with AD who did not. According to the article, “People who initiated an antipsychotic drug accumulated more hospital days than non-initiators due to dementia, mental and behavioural disorders, diseases of the respiratory and genitourinary system, cardiovascular disorders, and different symptoms such as fatigue. In addition, people who initiated an antipsychotic drug had more hospital days due to their caregivers' days off.”

BRAIN HEALTH

An October 4, 2019 Bicycling article spotlighted a study from UT Southwestern Medical Center on the effects of endurance or aerobic exercise on the brain. They compared sedentary older adults with mild cognitive impairment to those who either do aerobic exercise, or focus on stretching. After one-year, the exercisers all showed slight improvement of neuropsychological scores, however, the aerobic exercisers who had amyloid build-up at the start of the study showed less volume reduction in their hippocampus, which is involved in memory, when compared with the stretching group. “…It would be safe to say that engaging in moderate to vigorous physical activity not only benefits your heart, but also your brain,” said lead study author Ron Zhang, PhD.