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 November 10, 2022

In recognition of National Alzheimer’s Awareness and Caregiver’s Month, join ACA for these events:

Alzheimer’s Day of Prayer and Remembrance is Sunday, November 13.  The Prayer is attached.

ACA Community lecture, November 17, Progress in Alzheimer’s Disease Diagnosis and Treatment, presented by David S. Geldmacher, MD, Warren Family Endowed Chair and Professor, UAB Department of Neurology. Vestavia Library, 6 – 7:30 pm

ACA’s Annual Meeting and Candle Lighting Service, November 30. Local physician and author of the teaching memoir, Surfing the Waves of Alzheimer’s, Dr. Renee Harmon, will present on Compassionate Communication: Speaking Alzheimer’s; followed by the candle lighting. Vestavia Library, 9 – 10:30 am.

The fourth Global-US BrainTrust dialogue will release the latest findings on dementia risk reduction, brain health, and research on a vaccine for Alzheimer’s, Attend virtually, November 22, 1 – noon CT Global-US Brain Trust Quarterly Dialogue: Building the Future: Collaboration of Women in Science, Media and Philanthropy (google.com)

In-person and zoom Support Groups:

Alzheimer’s News:

Would you take a simple brain health test to learn about your risk of developing a brain disease if you could? According to the global brain health survey, 91% of those questioned would.  Researchers asked this question to more than 27,500 people in the global brain health survey conducted by the Lifebrain project.  91% of respondents would definitely or probably take a simple test to learn about the risk of developing a brain disease. 86% would do so even if the disease could not be prevented or treated.  For most people (over 95%) their main reason for taking a brain health test is to be able to slow down the development of a brain disease by seeking professional help and changing their lifestyle if they were at risk.  Nine Out of Ten Want to Know Their Brain Disease Risk – Neuroscience News

Only 12% of people between the ages of 50 and 64 say they’re very likely to step forward to test a new dementia-prevention drug, though another 32% say they’re somewhat likely. Those who have a family history of Alzheimer’s disease or another form of dementia, or who believe they’re likely to develop dementia, are more than twice as likely to say they’d sign up to test a new drug. Many Middle-Aged Adults Wary of Taking Part in Studies of Dementia Prevention Drugs (newswise.com)

Roughly a quarter of all Americans over the age of 40 in the U.S. take statin drugs — which lower levels of cholesterol — in order to prevent cardiovascular disease. But they might be receiving an unexpected benefit.  Statins reduce the levels of so-called “bad” cholesterol in the body. In people with vascular health issues, this helps to prevent cholesterol build-up in blood vessels and arteries, which in turn benefits blood pressure, and helps prevent a stroke or a heart attack. But, these benefits are sometimes overshadowed by misinformation about the impact of statin’s on brain health.  Being Patient looked at all the credible, peer-reviewed studies out there, talked to experts, and got to the bottom of the question about whether or not statins cause dementia.  Myth-Busting: Do Statins Cause Dementia? – Being Patient

Watch the 75 minute panel discussion from Alzheimer’s Disease International, Innovations in post-diagnosis support: The changing role of clinicians, treatments and care interventions: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ndp5IRRtcAI

Early weight loss after a diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease (PD) may be a harbinger of more rapid deterioration in cognitive function, new research suggests.  Results showed that in the first year after receiving a PD diagnosis, patients who lost more than 3% of their body weight experienced faster decline in global and executive cognitive function than peers who maintained their weight or gained weight.  Early Weight Loss Tied to Faster Cognitive Decline in Parkinson’s (medscape.com)

More than half of Americans aged 50 and up are helping an older adult manage tasks ranging from household chores to care for medical conditions, a new national poll shows.  Researchers said the findings highlight the critical role that everyday people are playing in the lives of older family members, friends and neighbors.  People caring for an older adult with dementia often had an especially hard time. About half had to help with five or more tasks, and just as many said the responsibilities were harder than they’d expected.  half of Americans over 50 are now caregivers – Consumer Health News | HealthDay

Researchers found that a simple meditation or music listening program may alter certain biomarkers of cellular aging and Alzheimer’s Disease in older adults who are experiencing memory loss.  These changes may be directly related to improvements in memory and cognition, sleep, mood, and quality of life.  In this trial, each participant was randomly assigned to either a beginner meditation (Kirtan Kriya) or music listening program and asked to practice 12 minutes/day for 12 weeks. At baseline and 3 months, blood samples were collected. Two markers of cellular aging were measured: telomere length and telomerase activity. (Telomeres serve as protective caps on chromosomes; telomerase is an enzyme.  The meditation group showed significantly greater increases in a key beta amyloid peptide (Aβ40) than did the music group. Rising beta amyloid levels were correlated with improvements in memory and cognitive function, as well as with those in mood, sleep, and quality of life.  These positive associations were substantially more pronounced in the meditation group. Music and Meditation Alters Biomarkers of Alzheimer’s and Cellular Aging – Neuroscience News

The incidence of dementia in patients with rheumatoid arthritis who took either a biologic disease-modifying antirheumatic drug (bDMARD) or targeted synthetic DMARD (tsDMARD) was significantly lower than the rate observed in patients who take only a conventional synthetic DMARD (csDMARD) in a national database study.  The work builds on previous research indicating a higher risk of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias in people with RA. While joint pain and swelling are the cardinal symptoms of RA, its systemic inflammation leads to multiple systemic manifestations, offering biologically plausible links with cognitive decline. In addition, patients with RA have high prevalence of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, depression, disability, and physical inactivity, all of which are risk factors for dementia.  Reducing Inflammation May Lower Dementia Risk in RA (medscape.com)

View or download these infographics from the NIA:

November Webinars from Alabama Lifespan Respite: https://alabamarespite.org/events2/

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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