March 23, 2017

Today’s Top Alzheimer’s News

USA2 SPOTLIGHT

Before today’s vote, call your Member of Congress and demand new health care legislation that protects the needs of families with Alzheimer’s and their caregivers! Click here to find your Representative.

A March 23, 2017 PR Web release issued a statement from LEAD Coalition’s Executive Director, Ian Kremer, responding to the proposed 2018 federal budget. Kremer voices his strong opposition to the budget blueprint citing the gutting of care, services and hope for those who need it most. He points out that these cuts (to many segments of the healthcare spectrum, most notably the NIH and FDA) undermine the President’s public commitments to strengthen the health care system for future generations. “The President’s budget blueprint threatens to make a challenging situation hopeless for millions of Americans facing Alzheimer’s disease. Stripping NIH of urgently needed research dollars will undo decades of work for scientists, researchers, medical professionals, patients, and families who have made efforts to overcome life-altering diseases like dementia,” wrote Kremer. He calls on congressional leaders to face the country’s challenges head-on, and equip the scientific community with all the resources they need to succeed in overcoming Alzheimer’s and our other myriad healthcare challenges. Leaders Engaged on Alzheimer’s Disease Coalition (LEAD Coalition) is co-convened by UsAgainstAlzheimer's.

RESEARCH, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

A March 22, 2017 Alzheimer’s News Today article featured a non-invasive, cheek swab test to identify patients with Alzheimer’s and distinguish between different stages of the disease. The test comes from the Canadian company, 3D, and is based on their TeloView software platform. Their study, which tested 44 patients with AD, will appear in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease. According to Sabine Mai, MD, Co-Founder and Principal Inventor, 3D, “Current diagnostic methods are not highly specific. In addition, AD is only confirmed post-mortem pathologically. There is a significant need for an accurate, non-invasive biomarker that can diagnose AD and indicate disease progression, and we believe TeloView has the potential to answer that important call.” The test has the potential to shape the future of personalized medicine for those living with Alzheimer’s.

CAREGIVER CORNER

A March 22, 2017 Medical Xpress article reported on a new study, “Caring for Me and You,” investigating whether online therapy can help alleviate stress, anxiety or depression in carers. To be eligible to participate in the study carers must be 18+, living in the UK and able to participate in an online study, providing practical or emotional support to someone with dementia, and experiencing stress or low mood. Participants will receive either CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) sessions online, or a high-quality education and information package online, with a sub-group also receiving telephone support. "Carers have traditionally found advice sessions helpful and early evidence indicates that online Cognitive Behavioral Therapy could also help reduce distress in carers, and we now need people to sign up to our trial to find robust answers on whether rolling this out could make a real difference and improve lives,” said one of the lead investigators on the study, Clive Ballard, Professor of Age-Related Diseases, University of Exeter Medical School. According to Madeleine Maddocks, who was a carer for both her parents diagnosed with dementia, "I really welcome the online nature of the Caring4MeandYou programme," she said. "When you're in that position, it's hard to find the strength, confidence and time to go to support groups. Having something online is much more flexible and accessible. I think it will help a lot of people, as a vital first step.”

POLITICAL INSIGHTS

A March 23, 2017 Sun Chronicle article voices the opinion that a Republican bill (H.R. 1313), which is part of the Affordable Care Act repeal blueprint, would threaten our DNA privacy by letting employers impose financial penalties on workers who refuse genetic testing as part of workplace wellness programs. The bill passed a House committee this month, however a broad range of health, privacy and consumer advocacy groups are against it, including American Academy of Pediatrics, AARP and March of Dimes. The Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008 bans discrimination by health insurers and employers based on genetic information, with the exception that workers can divulge DNA results as part of voluntary wellness programs, as long as there are no incentives for providing the information, or penalties for not doing so. The bill would charge up to a 30% increase in health insurance costs for refusal to disclose. The American Benefits Council, which represents employer-sponsored health plans, supports the bill, saying it would clear up competing regulations making it difficult to offer wellness programs promoting a healthy workforce and lower health care costs.