Must reads

• A January 8, 2014 Wall Street Journal Asia blog post reported on Korea's growing dementia crisis. According to the post, "The number of dementia patients age 65 or over who visited a doctor for treatment in 2011 hit 288,987—more than three times the number five years earlier, which works out to an average annual growth rate of 24%. And the number of dementia sufferers not getting professional help is believed to be much higher."
• A January 7, 2014 The Ledger editorial called for global action against Alzheimer's disease. According to the editorial, "The world must demand the same high-priority effort against Alzheimer's, whose shadow looms larger and larger as the population ages…This is an illness that attacks the font of the human spirit: the brain. Fittingly, that same asset is our best tool to seek and find the best ways to fight back."
• A January 7, 2014 The Seattle Times article reported that Seattle State Senator Paull Shin (D-Edmonds) is stepping down from the Senate due to Alzheimer's. According to Shin, "I have loved this place and the work we do here on behalf of the people of Washington. Unfortunately, I have determined with the assistance of my family that recent health problems and a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease make it impossible for me to represent my constituents in the manner they deserve.”
• A January 4, 2014 The Times-Tribune letter-to-the-editor by John Trojanowski called for increased Alzheimer's funding. According to the piece, "Now more than ever, the United States must take the lead in this concerted effort against Alzheimer's. It can start by allocating additional resources toward making the G8's goal a reality."