July 31, 2015

Today's Top Alzheimer's News

MUST READS AND LISTEN 

A July 31, 2015 The Hill opinion piece by Harry Johns underscored the need to tackle Alzheimer’s before the disease threatens Medicare’s future. According to Johns, “To put this in context, Medicare spends nearly one-in-five dollars on people with Alzheimer’s today. By 2050, it will be nearly one-in-three…The danger that Alzheimer’s poses to both Medicare and the federal budget is clear. So too is the way out: More research. Alzheimer’s is the only leading cause of death that cannot be prevented, cured or even slowed, yet for every $26,000 spent by Medicare and Medicaid to care for individuals with Alzheimer’s, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) spends only $100 on Alzheimer’s research.” Johns is president and CEO of the Alzheimer’s Association.

A July 29, 2015 Associated Press article (via KTAR News) reported that new data from Eli Lilly suggests that amyloid is “still the right target despite high-profile failures in recent years.” According to the article, “The bottom line: It’s going to take more time to figure out if this approach works, but scientists think it’s still the right target despite high-profile failures in recent years. ‘These are not definitive reports that are going to lead to medications being approved tomorrow. What they represent is an important foundation for us moving forward,’ said Dr. David Knopman of the Mayo Clinic, who has monitored some of Lilly’s data. Today’s Alzheimer’s drugs only temporarily ease symptoms. Scientists caution that better care likely will require combinations of drugs that work in different ways, not just targeting amyloid. The National Institutes of Health expects to spend $586 million on Alzheimer’s research this year; different spending bills pending in Congress potentially could add up to another $350 million.” Also reported on by Science Mag (behind paywall) 


RESEARCH, SCIENCE, AND TECHNOLOGY 

A July 30, 2015 The San Diego Union-Tribune article reported that “San Diego State University is the recipient of a $2.5 million grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to help create a collaborative center that aims to train the next generation of geriatric health workers.”

A July 30, 2015 News Medical article reported that a new study published in Neurology finds that engaging directly with Alzheimer’s patients and their caregivers through art programs builds compassion and increases understanding of the disease.