MUST READS

A May 25, 2016 NPR.org article reported that “The next generation of senior citizens will be sicker and costlier to the health care system over the next 14 years than previous generations, according to a new report from the United Health Foundation.” According to the article, “There will be about 55 percent more senior citizens who have diabetes than there are today, and about 25 percent more who are obese. Overall, the report says that the next generation of seniors will be 9 percent less likely to say they have good or excellent overall health.”

A May 25, 2016 Entrepreneur interview with Akili Interactive Labs co-founders Eddie Martucci and Matthew Omernick explored their efforts to treat diseases like Alzheimer’s with gaming applications. According to the article, “Could a doctor treating ADHD or Alzheimer’s one day prescribe a video game? Eddie Martucci and Matthew Omernick think so -- and the cofounders of Boston-based Akili Interactive Labs recently raised more than $30 million from pharma companies, government grants and investors who agree. The team’s tablet-based game, EVO, guides players (er, patients) through a series of foreign worlds, where they collect stars and gems and interact with aliens.”

A may 25, 2016 AOL.com article reported that “Researchers have found a correlation between Alzheimer's disease in men older than 80 and the disappearance of the Y chromosome from their blood cells.” According to the article, “While scientists haven't determined exactly what connects the chromosomal loss to Alzheimer's, they suspect it may play a role in the immune system's ability to respond.”

A May 24, 2016 The San Diego Union-Tribune article reported that “a study by UC San Diego and VA San Diego scientists has found a disturbingly high percentage of those with mild impairments in thinking are not being detected by routine tests.” According to the article, “Conventional screening misses 7.1 percent of those with mild cognitive impairment – a risk factor for Alzheimer’s and other dementias – the scientists found.”

A May 24, 2016 Fortune article reported that “Eli Lilly…laid out an ambitious R&D agenda for launching up to 20 new drugs by 2023 during an investor presentation on Tuesday.” According to the article, “Lilly said that it would be focusing on key franchises such as diabetes, oncology, and neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s and add immunology to its roster of core therapeutic spaces. In addition, the firm hopes that its emerging focus on non-opioid pain therapies will become fertile ground for new drugs.”

A May 24, 2016 ScienceDaily.com article reported on advances in PET imaging to diagnose early Alzheimer’s. According to the article, “Recognizing that the use of biomarkers has led to advances in the detection of Alzheimer's disease (AD), researchers reviewed a PET amyloid imaging agent, finding that imaging with PiB provides early detection of disease and allows clinicians to distinguish AD from other dementias.”