Alzheimer’s Association International Conference: Why Does Gender Matter & More

21 Tuesday Jul 2015

Posted by Ann Napoletan in Advocacy and Awareness, ALZ Assn - National, Alzheimer's Association International Conference (AAIC), Pharma, Research, Risk

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AAIC, alzheimers, alzheimers association international conference, alzheimers news, alzheimers research, dementia, women and alzheimers

Alzheimer’s Association Graphic

As 4,000 of the leading Alzheimer’s researchers from 65 countries continue to collaborate in Washington this week, we’re so hungry for hopeful news. One topic getting a lot of attention is the apparent gender inequality where Alzheimer’s is concerned.

We know that women comprise two-thirds of American living with Alzheimer’s, but why is that? In the past, the statistic that has been largely attributed to the fact that women outlive their male counterparts.

Gender Differences

Growing evidence suggests there may be more to the story. Several gender-related studies are being discussed at the AAIC this week, and the findings are interesting. Consider this:

Women with MCI (mild cognitive impairment) decline at a rate almost twice that of men.

When PET scans were used to check amyloid levels in 1,000 subjects, an obvious disparity was identified. It seems women’s brains tend to contain more amyloid than the brains of men, which would seem to put them at higher risk for Alzheimer’s.

Women who undergo surgery with general anesthesia experience more cognitive issues than men.

The question remains, why? Why are the incidences of Alzheimer’s in women so much greater than in men? That mystery, we hope, will be solved sooner than later.

News, News, and More News

As expected, there is an abundance of news coming out of this week’s conference. If you’re interested in reading more, the Alzheimer’s Association has published the following list of articles from various sources. You can also find a list of press releases on the AAIC page.

New wave of Alzheimer’s research aims to diagnose, treat much earlier
— CBS News

Growing evidence links sleep problems, Alzheimer’s
— Associated Press

Saliva test may catch Alzheimer’s disease
— CNN

With millions more expected to develop Alzheimer’s, more research funding demanded
— The Los Angeles Times

Too much TV can raise the risk of Alzheimer’s, new study suggests
— The Washington Post

Your School Grades Affect Your Risk of Dementia
— TIME

Biomarkers identified patients most likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease
— Psychiatry Advisor

Alzheimer’s scientists to meet in D.C. amid signs of progress for treatment
— The Washington Post

Researchers Looking for Ways to Predict Alzheimer’s Before It Starts
— NBC News

Saliva seen as possible diagnostic tool for Alzheimer’s disease
— The Washington Post

Study Shows Promise in Detecting an Individual’s Likelihood of Developing Alzheimer’s
— The Wall Street Journal

Alzheimer’s Drugs In The Works Might Help Other Diseases, Too
— NPR

Has Biogen found the ‘Goldilocks’ dose for Alzheimer’s drug?
— CNBC

Ahead of Alzheimer’s meeting, researchers seize on signs of progress
— Reuters

CNBC Explains: New Alzheimer’s Drugs
— CNBC

Alzheimer’s Association International Conference – Days 1 & 2

20 Monday Jul 2015

Posted by Ann Napoletan in Advocacy and Awareness, ALZ Assn - National, Alzheimer's Association International Conference (AAIC), Pharma, Research

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AAIC, alzheimers, alzheimers association international conference, alzheimers research, dementia, lewy body dementia, parkinsons

This is a big week in the world of Alzheimer’s research. More than 4,000 scientists hailing from at least 65 countries are gathered in Washington, DC, for the 2015 Alzheimer’s Association International Conference. From Sunday until Thursday, the most brilliant minds in science, almost half from outside the United States, will collaborate in the interest of advancing Alzheimer’s research.

Hopeful News

In this NPR article, Marcia Taylor of biotech company Treventis describes a compound they are currently working on that targets both beta-amyloid and tau to prevent tangles from forming. According to Taylor, the compound works in a test tube and is now being tested in animals.

Fernando Goni of NYU describes a potential treatment that could help not only people with Alzheimer’s, but also individuals living with Parkinson’s and Lewy Body Dementia – an exciting prospect. Goni’s monoclonal antibodies work like “guided missiles to find and neutralize” tau and amyloid clumps in the brain. He says studies in mice indicate the treatment can actually reverse symptoms of the disease.

Image Source: http://www.alz.org

Finally, a potential treatment comes from NeuroPhage Pharmaceuticals. When Beka Solomon was a researcher Tel Aviv University in Israel, she accidentally discovered that a virus she was using for another purpose seemed to reverse Alzheimer’s in mice. Additional research yielded a treatment that appears to work for both Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. NeuroPhage plans enroll participants in Phase 1 trails in 2016

News Releases

We will see news releases from the Alzheimer’s Association throughout the conference, including these from the first two days of meetings.

Researchers Report New Ways To Predict The Development Of Alzheimer’s Disease

Promising New Treatments For Alzheimer’s Target Multiple Disease-Related Proteins, May Have Benefits For Several Brain Diseases

Childhood School Performance And Type 1 Diabetes Identified As Risk Factors For Alzheimer’s Disease, Dementia

New Analysis Shows More Than 28 Million Baby Boomers Will Develop Alzheimer’s Disease; Will Consume Nearly 25% Of Medicare Spending

Lifetime Acheivement Awards Presented To Four Leading Researchers At Alzheimer’s Association International Conference®

Metlife Foundation And GHR Foundation Honored At Alzheimer’s Association International Conference®

Two Leading Researchers Receive 2015 MetLife Foundation Awards for Medical Research at Alzheimer’s Association International Conference®

Stay tuned for more as the week unfolds.

Alzheimer’s: When Will the Government Put Their Money Where Their Mouth Is?

03 Tuesday Feb 2015

Posted by Ann Napoletan in Advocacy and Awareness, ALZ Assn - National, Face of Alzheimer's, Facts & Figures, Helpful Resources, Life After Caregiving, NAPA, Research, Ruminations, USAgainstAlzheimer's, Washington

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In recent days, staunch supporters including Senators Susan Collins (ME), Edward Markey (MA), Amy Klobuchar (MN), and Jerry Moran (KS) have encouraged President Obama to include an increase for Alzheimer’s research in his FY 2016 budget. After all, what’s a “plan” to end Alzheimer’s by 2025 without the funding necessary to do so?

And the Verdict is in

Disappointment ensued as the Obama Administration released the proposed budget yesterday, and Alzheimer’s was overlooked. In a press release, George Vradenburg, co-founder of USAgainstAlzheimer’s said, “If we as a nation do not make Alzheimer’s research a top priority, we simply cannot meet our national goal of preventing and treating Alzheimer’s by 2025.”

What will it take to convince our government that unless we do something to stop it, Alzheimer’s will be the public health crisis of our lifetime? Perhaps the powers-that-be need to listen carefully to Michael Auslin’s story, or that of Karen Garner, whose husband was diagnosed before his 50^th birthday. What about Rebecca Emily Darling, who was just 26-years-old when her mother was diagnosed?

Proof in the Numbers

Alzheimer’s is the only cause of death among the top 10 in America that cannot be prevented, cured, or even slowed. More than 500,000 people die annually from Alzheimer’s.

Deaths from Alzheimer’s increased 68 percent between 2000 and 2010, while deaths from other major diseases decreased.

More than 5 million Americans are living with some form of dementia. If we remain on the current trajectory, that number will rise to 16 million by 2050.

Every 67 seconds, someone in the U.S. develops Alzheimer’s. By 2050, it will be every 33 seconds.

In 2014, the direct costs to American society of caring for those with Alzheimer’s totaled over $200 billion, including $150 billion in costs to Medicare and Medicaid.

Unless something is done to stop it, Alzheimer’s will cost an estimated $1.2 trillion (in today’s dollars) in 2050. Costs to Medicare and Medicaid will increase nearly 500 percent.

For more information, check out the Alzheimer’s Association’s 2014 Facts and Figures report.