Support ACA’s 12th annual Glow for a Cure night golf tournament, July 25th, Highland Park Golf Course. The tournament is presented by ACA’s Junior Board and supports the Lindy Harrell Pre-doctoral Scholars Program in Alzheimer’s Research at UAB. ACA has funded 8 student researchers since 2019. Spectator tickets are $40 and include live music, auction, BBQ dinner, beer, wine and specialty Tito’s cocktail. https://alzca.org/glow/
Support Group Meetings:
- ACA’s support group with Miller & Vance, Tuesday, July 22, 11:00 – noon CT. Call (205) 871-7970 ormpiggott@alzca.org. Join us on zoom: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85247427423
- CJFS CARES, Mondays at 3 pm, contact Pam Leonard, pam@cjfsbham.org.
- St Lukes Episcopal Church on Tuesdays at 10:15. Contact Betsy Smith (smith35213@gmail.com) or Janis Cole (janiscarole3@aol.com).
- West Alabama Area Agency on Aging, Caregiver Support Group, Tuesdays, contact Robin Montgomery, robin.montgomery@westal.org.
- M4A’s Caregiver Support Group, 2nd and 4th Tuesday of each month, 10 – 11:30 am, Montevallo. Contact Robyn James, rjames@m4a.org.
- The Oaks on Parkwood, 4th Tuesday’s, 10:00 am, Contact: Karen Glover, karenrglover@gmail.com.
- CJFS CARES, Tuesdays, 7:00 pm, contact Pam Leonard, pam@cjfsbham.org.
- United Way Area Agency on Aging of Jefferson County, 3rd Tuesday of each month 11:30-12:30, contact Valarie Lawson, vlawson@uwaaa.org
- Eastaboga, 2nd Tuesday, 6:00 pm. Contact Julie Slagle jslagle@lakesidehospice.org
- Trussville, 3rd Tuesday, 6:00 pm. Contact Julie Slagle jslagle@lakesidehospice.org
- Covenant Presbyterian Church, first Wednesday of the month, 10 am, church parlor, Contact Kristian Hatley at Khatley@covpress.com.
- M4A virtual support group, 3rd Wednesdays 2:00 – 3:00 pm. Contact Chalane Mims, cmims@m4a.org.
- Asbury United Methodist Church 1st and 3rd Thursdays at 1:00, contact Maggie Dunaway at mdunaway@asburyonline.org.
- AFTD support group, second Tuesday of the month. Amber Guy: 251-281-5344.
- Holy Apostles Church, Hoover, 2nd and 4th Thursdays 10:30-noon, contact Michele Elrod: Michelerelrod@att.net.
- St. Mark’s UMC, Vestavia Hills, Fridays at 1 pm. Contact Donna Baird: (205)717-9880.
Alzheimer’s News:
Given the opportunity, 90% of Americans say they would take a blood biomarker test for Alzheimer’s disease (AD) — even in the absence of symptoms. Notably, 80% say they wouldn’t wait for a physician to order a test, they’d request one themselves. The findings, from a recent nationwide survey, suggest a growing desire to predict the risk for or show evidence of AD and related dementias with a simple blood test. For consumers with the inclination and the money, that desire can now become reality. Once limited to research settings or only available via a physician’s order, blood-based diagnostics for specific biomarkers — primarily pTau-217 and beta-amyloid 42/20 — are now offered by at least four companies in the US. Several others sell blood-based “dementia” panels without those biomarkers and screens for apolipoprotein (APOE) genes, including APOE4, a variant that confers a higher risk for AD (click the link to see what each company offers and the cost). Until now, blood biomarker tests for AD have primarily been available only through a doctor. For many, it raises a fundamental concern: If experts haven’t reached a consensus on blood-based AD biomarker testing, how can consumers be expected to interpret at-home test results? Biomarker test
What’s the purpose of a long life if our brains can’t enjoy it? Listen to this 22 minute podcast with Paul Irving, Senior Advisor at the Milken Institute on the Future of Longevity and Dean of Faculty at USC’s Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, challenges conventional thinking about aging and longevity in a conversation with host, Meryl Comer. Together they address the critical distinction between longevity and brain health and explore why maintaining cognitive function matters more than simply extending lifespan. Paul shares insights into intergenerational collaboration and fighting ageism to create healthier, more productive later years. Health Span vs. Life Span
Postoperative delirium following noncardiac surgery was linked to a 3.5-fold higher risk for death or major complications, but low-cost interventions focusing on avoiding patient disturbances can mitigate those negative outcomes, a new landmark study showed. An estimated one in 30 patients in the study experienced postoperative delirium, with high levels of variation in incidence rates among hospitals. The American Geriatrics Society, which describes postoperative delirium as “acute brain failure,” recommends the condition be treated as a medical emergency that requires rapid diagnosis and treatment. The cost of managing the condition runs roughly $26 billion to $42 billion in the US each year, and recent studies have linked postoperative delirium to the development of dementia in older adults. Patients with delirium were more likely to be male and have comorbidities, including cerebrovascular disease, heart failure, and dementia. Compared to patients without delirium, those with the condition were significantly more likely to experience death or major complications, non-home discharges, and 30-day mortality. There are several low-cost, nonpharmacologic interventions to reduce delirium risk including avoiding sleep disturbance, sensory support and enhanced screening for at-risk patients. Postoperative delirium
New evidence suggests that AS01-based vaccines, beyond their established role in preventing shingles and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), may also reduce the risk for dementia. New data underscores the importance of maintaining up-to-date immunizations, particularly among older adults. The study found dementia risk dropped after AS01 vaccines. Patients who received the shingles (Shingrix) or RSV (Arexvy) vaccines — both containing the AS01 adjuvant — had a significantly lower risk for dementia over 18 months compared to those who received the flu vaccine, with an 18% lower dementia diagnosis rate for shingles vaccine and a 29% lower rate for RSV vaccine. There was even greater protection when both vaccines were used. Receiving both AS01 vaccines was linked to a 37% reduced dementia risk, suggesting a possible additive effect. It’s the adjuvant, not the vaccine itself. AS01 is an adjuvant known to affect brain inflammation and Alzheimer’s-related alterations. Experts stress that these results are observational and short-term, but the research adds weight to the growing case for broader vaccine benefits, including possible brain protection. These findings hint that adjuvanted vaccines like Shingrix and Arexvy may do more than prevent infections; they might help guard against dementia, too. AS01-based vaccines
As a care partner to someone with dementia, not being recognized by your loved one can be one of the most challenging experiences. In a recent Alzheimer’s TODAY article, dementia care expert Teepa Snow, MS, OTR/L, FAOTA, offers guidance during these difficult moments. Snow explains how to: pause and stay calm when these incidents occur; communicate with your loved one with care; understand what causes this phenomenon. https://alzfdn.org/time-with-teepa-you-are-not-the-wife-im-looking-for/
UsAgainstAlzheimer’s announced the launch of the BrainGuide Clinical Trial Connector, a free, confidential tool developed in partnership with Carebox. This new resource helps individuals, caregivers, and healthcare providers easily find and connect with clinical trials for Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD). At a time when participation in ADRD trials remain low, this tool fills a major gap, making it easier for people to take part in research that could lead to better treatments and care. BrainGuide is a first-of-its-kind platform that empowers people with knowledge and resources to take the best next steps in managing their own or a loved one’s brain health. The BrainGuide Clinical Trial Connector is now available at www.mybrainguide.org/clinical-trials/.
Often dubbed the “stress hormone,” cortisol plays a complex role in our brain health. While it’s typically associated with negative effects like anxiety and sleep disturbances, recent research shows that cortisol can also enhance memory under certain conditions. Understanding this dual nature is crucial, especially as we seek strategies to maintain cognitive health throughout life. In situations like taking an exam, a moderate level of stress — and consequently, cortisol — can actually enhance memory formation. Still, too much stress can impair a person’s ability to recall information. We definitely need cortisol, and [our cortisol levels] change throughout the day. Cortisol levels are higher when you’re waking up in the morning. They help you wake up, and then they go down over the course of the day as you’re getting ready for bed. While acute stress can sometimes sharpen our mental faculties, chronic stress poses a risk to brain health. One study found that middle-aged adults with elevated cortisol levels exhibited smaller brain volumes and performed worse on memory tests compared to those with lower levels. This suggests that prolonged exposure to high cortisol can lead to structural and functional brain changes. Further research indicates that chronic stress may deplete our cognitive reserve—the brain’s resilience to damage. High cortisol levels can diminish this reserve, making individuals more susceptible to cognitive decline and dementia. Studies show physical movement offers numerous emotional regulation and mental health benefits — including positive impacts on cortisol: Engaging in regular physical activity has been shown to lower cortisol responses and benefit brain regions like the hippocampus. But what kind of physical activity? Research shows that movement doesn’t always have to be vigorous or intense to benefit a person’s health, as long as it’s regular — think a walk around the house every couple hours, rather than an intensive workout every couple days. Mindfulness practices, including meditation, can also help regulate cortisol levels. https://www.beingpatient.com/elizabeth-goldfarb-cortisol/
A novel brain-based “aging” clock can accurately and reliably estimate how quickly an individual is biologically aging from a single MRI scan, offering a potential tool to help clinicians predict the risk for dementia, mild cognitive impairment, and other chronic diseases, a new study showed. Investigators developed the Dunedin Pace of Aging Calculated from NeuroImaging (DunedinPACNI) to estimate an individual’s pace of aging based on brain MRI features such as cortical thickness, surface area, gray matter volume, gray-to-white matter contrast, subcortical volumes, and ventricular sizes. In a series of studies with more than 50,000 brain MRI scans from people aged 22-98 years across multiple datasets, those whose biological age outpaced their chronological age not only had poorer cognition, faster hippocampal atrophy, and greater dementia risk but also worse general health, including greater frailty, poorer self-reported health, and greater risk for chronic disease and premature death. While more research on the new tool is needed, investigators said they expect it will be ready for use in clinical practice in a few years to help physicians identify patients at risk for later poor health well before symptoms appear and when prevention efforts can be most effective. “aging” clock