MUST READS

A February 10, 2016 New York Times article reported “The risk of developing dementia is decreasing for people with at least a high school education, according to an important new study that suggests that changes in lifestyle and improvements in physical health can help prevent or delay cognitive decline.” According to the article, “There are wild cards that could dampen some of the optimism. The study participants were largely white and suburban, so results may not apply to all races and ethnicities…Another question mark is whether obesity and diabetes, which increase dementia risk, will cause a surge in dementia cases when the large number of overweight or diabetic 40- and 50-year-olds become old enough to develop dementia. In any event, in the next few decades, the actual number of dementia patients will increase because baby boomers are aging and living longer.”

A February 10, 2016 Star Telegram opinion piece by Steven Dekosky underscored the need for clinical trial participation to fight Alzheimer’s. According to the article, “The good news is that we have learned an enormous amount about the disease over the last 25 years, enough to know the kinds of interventions that we should try to slow the disease or prevent it. Some of those trials are underway. More than 100 compounds are at various levels of development in laboratories, in safety trials, in proof-of-concept trials, or even in the last kind of trial, where, if it works and is safe, the FDA will approve it for use…And we need the public’s help. You do not have to be sick to participate in a clinical trial — we need healthy people to be compared to people with dementia, and some trials are testing treatments for prevention of Alzheimer’s disease in normal people.” Steven T. DeKosky, M.D., interim executive director of the McKnight Brain Institute at the University of Florida.

A February 10, 2016 Genegnews.com article highlighted the research advocacy community’s response to the Obama Administration’s FY2017 budget. According to the article, “The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (ASBMB) expressed disappointment: ‘Frankly, this budget does little to capitalize on the enormous bipartisan support for the NIH in Congress,’ ASBMB Public Affairs Director Benjamin Corb said in a statement. ‘To propose a funding level that is unable to sustain the biomedical research enterprise is surprising given the president’s consistent, strong support for the agency.’”

A February 10, 2016 Forbes Next Avenue article reported on the impact of older voters in the 2016 election. According to the article, “One great challenge facing older Americans is the growth in the numbers of people impacted by Alzheimer’s disease. Therefore, the candidate who can propose a broad-based approach on Alzheimer’s disease stands to connect with a wider array of voters…Moreover, 2016 may well be the year that the sleeping political force of family caregivers awakens and influences the election by their advocacy to have their issues addressed.”

INTERESTING READS FROM THE WEB

AlzForum: At HAI, Researchers Explore Diagnostic Potential of a Tau Tracer

ThinkProgress: Solving The Growing Health Needs Of America’s Elderly Homeless

NewsMax: Raspberries: Good for Heart and Brain

Quartz: The year 2040 is looking very scary for the world’s richest countries

Fast Company: Why Baby Boomers Refuse To Retire