USA2 SPOTLIGHT

A July 25, 2017 UsAgainstAlzheimer’s statement was issued in reaction to the US Senate’s debate over a replacement bill for the Affordable Care Act. According to UsA2 Chairman and Co-Founder, George Vradenburg, “We must not be fooled by a procedural vote. UsAgainstAlzheimer’s is concerned by any momentum in Congress to advance policies that may weaken or eliminate health care for people with Alzheimer’s and related dementias. We urge Congress to ensure that the impact of health reform on millions of elderly, sick and low-income Americans is a central consideration in any forthcoming deliberation of a replacement bill.”

MUST READS

A July 25, 2017 NBC News article focused on a study in Portland, Oregon to see if jogging memories where they were made can help older African-Americans stay cognitively sharp. The study is to understand why black seniors appear twice as likely as whites — and Hispanics 1½ times — to develop Alzheimer's and other dementias. According to study participant, Sharon Steen, "What we find when we walk, all of us, is that there are a lot of things we haven't had to remember, and that we can't remember. And then as we walk and talk, the memories pop up and it's reassuring that they're still there.”

According to a July 25, 2017 USA Today article, babysitting grandkids may help prevent Alzheimer’s by increasing brain function and memory, human contact and physical exercise. Research suggests that it boosts brain power by stimulating brain tissues benefiting memory and decreases chances of developing depression. "If you think about when you do take care of a child, you tend to become more of a teacher. You’re teaching them new experiences, maybe taking them to the zoo or working on vocabulary with them... it's stimulating for the babysitter’s brain as well," said said Dr. Diana Kerwin of Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital in Dallas.

A July 23, 2017 Newsday Article (subscription only) spotlighted the work of B. Smith and her husband, Dan Gasby, in opening an assisted living facility in South Fork, Long Island for people with Alzheimer’s and other dementias. Smith was diagnosed four years ago with early-onset AD and decided to go public, instead of hiding-out.

DISPARITIES SPOTLIGHT

A July 25, 2017 The Sacramento Bee article featured a new multiyear study out of UC Davis, funded by the National Institutes of Health, examining the causes of Alzheimer's disease and other dementias among Latinos in the US. It will draw data from the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos and the Study of Latinos-Investigation of Neurocognitive Aging, where more than 16,000 patients are providing information on genetic, cardiovascular and pulmonary diseases.

RESEARCH, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

A July 26, 2017 Medical Xpress article reported on why some people with Down syndrome develop dementia and others don’t. Researchers at the University of Kentucky have been studying people with Down since 2009 and found that white matter tracts in the brain become progressively weaker with age, possibly leading to personality changes and memory problems. Changes in some blood proteins may indicate the need for different Alzheimer's treatments for people with and without the syndrome. Different kinds of learning and memory tests are good for diagnosing AD in people with Down. Click here to learn more about qualifing for the study.