USA2 SPOTLIGHT 

Don't Miss Next Week's Alzheimer's Talks: Join us on November 18 at 2 p.m. EST for Alzheimer's Talks with Dr. Larry Goldstein, Director of the Sanford Stem Cell Center and Distinguished Professor in the Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine at the University of California, San Diego. Dr. Goldstein will join us to discuss the stem cell-based models of disease and their work in using stem cells to fight against Alzheimer's disease. Sign up here.

MUST READS

A November 10, 2015 NBCNews.com article reported on the financial toll of Alzheimer’s and its impact on Medicare. According to the article, “Delaying the onset of the disease by just five years, research studies show, could decrease Medicare spending by 50 percent. That's an important point to consider, because economists forecast that unless something is done to cure or even slow the symptoms, the number of people with Alzheimer's will rise to 16 million by 2050 and cost the U.S. economy $1.1 trillion. The portion covered by Medicare will balloon to $589 billion. Closer to home, the financial burden of caring for someone with Alzheimer's can be devastating. According to a recent study by the Annals of Internal Medicine, the cost of caring for a person with Alzheimer's in the last five years of life is $287,038.”

A November 10, 2015 Chicago Tribune article reported on the link between Alzheimer’s and sleep. According to the article, “Scientists already have documented connections between sleep loss and memory problems, which explains why many schools are starting classes later. But a growing body of research is exploring links among sleep deprivation, sleep disturbance and Alzheimer's disease, the most common form of dementia.”

A November 10, 2015 USA Today opinion piece by Helena Bachmann highlighted her journey with her mother’s Alzheimer’s. According to Bachmann, “Mom doesn’t remember her age or mine because she lives in a time warp of sorts. Years, months and days blend into a continuum of sameness, with only an occasional spark of cogent conversation. That’s because mom has Alzheimer’s disease, which, in just a few years, has drastically transformed her personality, altering her life and mine in many ways. I could have never imagined, for instance, to what degree my once mentally alert mother would become disconnected from the world and people around her.”

A November 10, 2015 Reuters article reported that “The U.S. death rate for all causes is continuing to decline, aided by drops in fatalities from leading causes like heart disease, cancer, stroke, diabetes, and accidents, new research finds.” According to the article, “Earlier this year, a report from the Institute of Medicine recommended that the performance of the healthcare system be measured based on four domains - healthy people, quality care, affordable care, and engaged patients, Dr. McGinnis noted. ‘Looking only at death rates, and primarily at mortality prominent in 1969, gives a necessary but not sufficient profile of the health of the nation and the citizens within it - missing issues like the rapid ascendance of Alzheimer's disease, the rise and reduction of HIV/AIDS, the more recent ascendance of diabetes deaths (tracking the obesity epidemic) and persistent disparities in health care, for example the sustained gap between blacks and whites,’ Dr. McGinnis told Reuters Health by email.”