Alzheimer's of Central Alabama

Serving people with Alzheimer’s, caregivers and professionals in central Alabama through education, caregiver services and research grants.

ACA’s Weekly Email January 28, 2022

In-person and zoom Support Groups:

January Webinars from Alabama Lifespan Respite (https://alabamarespite.org/events2/):

  • Understanding Alzheimer’s, January 30, 6 CT

Alzheimer’s News:

Read the latest, inspiring blog from LifeBio, a leading age-tech solutions company using reminiscence therapy and life story work for social engagement of older populations: Where do we find the motivation to keep going, when the going inevitably gets hard? I ask this question of myself, and I ask it to all the caregivers out there who have been working tirelessly to care for loved ones, patients, residents, or clients in the middle of a global pandemic. The answer, in part, lies in how we view the people for whom we are caring.  There is a growing awareness of the importance of “mutuality” in care; that is a feeling of intimacy and positive relationship between caregiver and care receiver. It turns out that those positive feelings are more than nice; they are actually a key variable in both the mental and physical health of the person receiving and the person giving care. Both people experience a reduction in anxiety and depression and improved quality of life when the relationship becomes one of reciprocity.  LifeBio.

This week, patient advocacy group UsAgainstAlzheimer’s urged Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra to direct the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to reconsider its intention to effectively block Medicare coverage for up to a decade for an entire class of drug treatments for Alzheimer’s disease.  The January 11 announcement by CMS would deny Medicare coverage for Aduhelm and the entire class of anti-amyloid monoclonal antibodies, expect for patients who are able to participate in restrictive clinical trials. “This decision would gut the first—and currently the only—class of drugs aimed at slowing progression. CMS’s proposal would leave us with no options for years—perhaps an entire decade.  Tragically, 1,000 Americans a day progress to mid-stage Alzheimer’s disease, meaning that, over 10 years, more than 3.5 million Alzheimer’s victims would be on an irreversible, painful path to their death while their government effectively blocked access to treatments.”

https://www.usagainstalzheimers.org/press/usagainstalzheimers-letter-hhs-secretary-becerra-direct-cms-reconsider-its-draft-decision

Decisions about whether insurance will pay for certain drugs can seem complicated. And it can be hard to understand how these decisions affect our day-to-day lives. This 3-minute survey, from UsAgainstAlzheimer’s A-LIST, asks what’s important to you when it comes to decisions to pay for drugs to treat Alzheimer’s disease. What Matters Most: Paying for Alzheimer’s Drugs Survey (surveymonkey.com)

Research opportunity:  The Faith-HAT is a faith-based home activity toolbox aimed to improve overall wellbeing among African American families affected by dementia or memory loss.  The study is approximately 6 weeks. The caregiver/care partner, will record weekly guided journal entries, wear a stress watch on specified days of the study, and complete faith-based activities (Prayer, music, art, puzzles, meditation, and more) with their family member(s) experiencing memory loss. Over the course of the study, the family will also receive up to $135 in compensation for their participation. Please contact us for more information on how you can participate in this study or click the link and we will contact you! https://forms.office.com/r/9bjMe4eHHV

Subclinical changes in cardiac structure and diastolic function in early adulthood may serve as risk markers for cognitive decline in midlife. Cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes have been associated with an increased risk for cognitive impairment, but much less is known about heart structure and function and the risks for cognition.  New research shows people with abnormalities in cardiac structure and function as early as in young adulthood have lower midlife cognition.  This study reminds us that heart health is key to brain health and that the overlap and interplay between the two is not limited to patients with end-stage heart disease.  Early, Subtle, Cardiac Changes Tied to Midlife Cognitive Decline (medscape.com)

Berries, red wine, and other foods rich in flavonoids are associated with a lower risk for death in patients Parkinson’s disease.  Researchers found those who ate three or more servings of flavonoid-rich foods a week had a 70% lower mortality vs those consuming one or fewer servings of such foods per month.  Adopting a healthy dietary pattern that is high in colorful fruits and veggies like berries, even after a Parkinson diagnosis, could slow disease progression and improve survival rate.  Berries, Red Wine Linked to Lower Mortality in Parkinson’s Disease (medscape.com)

Did you know that of the 6.2 million people with Alzheimer’s disease who are age 65 or older in this country, almost two-thirds are women?  This means that Alzheimer’s disease is almost twice as common in women compared to men. Why is Alzheimer’s disease more common in women?  The first and most important reason is that women tend to live longer than men.  A baby girl born in 2019 is likely to live five years longer than a baby boy: 81 versus 76 years.  The greatest risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease is age: the older you are, the more likely you are to develop Alzheimer’s disease.  Why are women more likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease? – Harvard Healt

Cataracts, which cause gradual clouding of the normally clear lens of the eye, are a common cause of blurry vision in older adults. Now a new study reports that having cataract surgery to correct impaired vision is associated with a nearly 30 percent lower risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia.  The findings add to growing evidence that intact vision, like intact hearing, is critical to keeping the brain in good health as we age. If the brain has to work extra hard to see or hear, it can take a toll on cognitive function.  Cataract Surgery May Lower Dementia Risk | Fisher Center for Alzheimer’s Research Foundation (alzinfo.org)

The scientists say it’ll be years, if not decades, before they know if contracting COVID-19 contributes to the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. And while there is a subset of symptoms that overlap between long COVID and Alzheimer’s, many differ. Alzheimer’s develops gradually over time, whereas brain fog from COVID-19 sets in quickly. Generally, Alzheimer’s is a disease of those over 65, while cognitive impairment after COVID-19 can occur even in children.  Could viruses cause Alzheimer’s? COVID-19 brain studies offer new clues. | National Geographic

Support ACA by using AmazonSmile!   Designate Alzheimer’s of Central Alabama and Amazon will donate 0.5% of the price of your eligible purchases. smile.amazon.com 

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