ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE STAMP COMING SOON (Source: Earth Times)  Post Master General John Potter announced that the U.S. Postal Service will issue a stamp next year to help raise awareness about Alzheimer's disease as part of its Social Awareness stamp series.  "With the Alzheimer's Awareness commemorative stamp, we'll ask Americans to use the power of mail to raise awareness about this tragic disease" said Potter.  "We hope to draw attention to the causes of the disease, the impact it has on individuals, caregivers and society, and how research may eventually lead to treatments that prevent or halt progression of the disease".

The stamp is also meant to honor the importance of caregivers in the lives of those who have the disease.  "For the person with Alzheimer's, that interaction with the caregiver means everything" said Kessler.  Three words - care, support, research - appear in the upper-right corner of the stamp sheet.  There is not yet an official, confirmed release date the stamp will be available for purchase in 2008.  To see an image of the stamp go to: usps.com  For the full story go to earthtimes.org.  

"Mark Warner"agelessd@aol.com  11/01/07.

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MEDICALERT + SAFE RETURN (Source:PRNewswire)  The national medical bracelet program has joined with the Alzheimer's Association Safe Return Program to provide a significantly broader program that will offer greater recognition and assistance for persons with Alzheimer's disease who wander away from home.  MedicAlert + Safe Return will provide assistance when a person wanders or is lost and access to medical information in time of need.  A call to the MedicAlert + Safe Return hotline can now activate a community support network to help find lost persons with Alzheimer's disease and reunite them with their caregiver.

For full story"  medicalert.org  "Mark Warner"agelessd@aol.com  11/01/07

A DRUG TO SAVE PATIENTS FROM WORSE SYMPTOMS (Source:  dailymail.co.uk)

A vaccine that prevents the final stages of Alzheimer's could be in widespread use in as little as six years. Known as CAD106, it is the brain child of scientists at biotechnology firm Cytos.  However, while the drug may stop the disease in its tract it is not expected to repair dead tissue and so will not be a cure.  Early tests indicate the vaccine is highly effective at breaking up the amyloid protein that clogs the brain in Alzheimer's, destroying vital connections between brain cells.  When the drug was given to mice suffering from a disease similar to Alzheimer's 80% of the patches of amyloid protein were broken up.  The vaccine works by tricking the immune system into attaching and breaking up deposits of amyloid protein clogging the brain.  Results of the study are not due until early next year. 

"Mark Warner" agelessd@aol.com 6/20/07

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MEMORY-ASSOCIATED BRAIN CHANGES (Source:University of California---uci.edu)

Researchers have developed the first images of physical changes that brain cells undergo when a memory is encoded.  Three decades of work established that a physiological effect known as long-term potentiation (LTP) encodes everyday forms of memory.  The images show the size and shape of nerve synapses were changed by LTP.  Researchers found that memory encoding LTP structures were defective in mouse models of Huntington's disease.  They found the condition can be reversed using a brain growth factor.  Ampakines, a new class of drugs in development for Alzheimer's, increases the levels of this growth factor.

"Mark Warner"agelessd@aol.com  5/17/07

Leonora J. Sicular (joylar@att.net) Alzheimer's Chairperson

SENATE HEARING:  THE STATE OF ALZHEIMER'S RESEARCH   (Source:  Alzheimer's Daily News)

March 20th, the U.S. Senate Retirement & Aging Committee held a hearing on the state of Alzheimer's disease research.

Witnesses:

        Senator Susan Collins (R-Me)

        Harry Johns, President & CEO, Alzheimer's Assoc., Chicago, IL.

        Marilyn Albert, PhD, Director of the Division of Cognitive Neuroscience, Dept. of Neurology, Johns Hopkins   

             Univ. School of Medicine, Co-Director of the Johns Hopkins Alzheimer's Disease Research Center,

             Board Member, Alzheimer's Assoc., Baltimore, Md.

        Sam Gandy, M.D., PhD., Director, Farber, Institute for Neurosciences, Thomas Jefferson Univ.,

             Chair, Medical & Scientific Advisory Council, Alzheimers Assoc. Philadelphia, Pa.

        Robert Egge, Project Director, Center for Health Transformation, Washington, D.C.

        Marilyn Blum, Owings Mills, M.D. (family caregiver for husband and father).

They testified about the impact of the disease on individuals and families, the pace of medical research, as well as funding for scientific research and potential treatments.

After the hearing, Subcommittee Chair Senator Mikulski (D-MD) introduced Alzheimer's Breakthrough Act of 2007 and the Family Assistance Act of 2007 to the Senate.  The Alzheimer's Breakthrough Act of 2007 doubles funding for Alzheimer's research at National Institute of Health (NIH) from $640M to $1.3M.  According to Sen. Richard Burr (R-NC) "The statistics prove that this is one of the wisest investments we can make".

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TESTIMONY OF ROBERT EGGE (Source:Health Transformation) Project Director at the Center for Health Transformation.In his testimony, Mr. Egge stressed the importance of responding to the growing crisis of Alzheimer's with a bold strategy that emphasizes the roll of research & innovation. "This penny-on-the-dollar approach might be called America"s Katrina strategy for Alzheimer's Disease.  As we now know policymakers long neglected funding the work required to repair and strengthen the levees that might have saved New Orleans from the worst of Katrina's impact...So long as the government's current reactive posture continues we are repeating the tragic misjudgment of Katrina every 72 seconds as another American braces against their personal hurricane with no levees to shield them".     

"Our national response to (HIV/AIDS) shows what can be accomplished when our government mobilizes around the coherent aggressive innovation oriented strategy.  In the mid-1980"s, projections for the future impact of the AIDS epidemic, absent effective treatments were of a scale similar to what we now face from the Alzheimer's Disease".

To read the printed transcripts from the hearing:  healthtransformation.net (PDF) or go to (C-SPAN.org)

"Mark Warner agelessdesign@aol.com 3/28/07

TECHNIQUES HELP REDUCE SUNDOWNING  (Those with Alzheimer's experience symptoms in evening) Watching the sunset is usually peaceful and stress-reducing for most people. It is a time of day we relish as we wind down and enjoy free time. 

For individuals with Alzheimer's disease, (AD) the setting sun can have a very different effect.  Many persons experiencing the middle stages of AD experience behavioral symptoms often referred to as sundowning. Sundowning is characterized by anxiety, restlessness, confusion, wandering and repetitive behaviors.  It is distressing for the person with memory impairment and his caregiver.  Sundowning symptoms surface during late afternoon and early evening hours and can become progressively worse as the evening wears on.

Factors that may contribute to sundowning include physical and mental fatigue, unmet basic needs such as thirst or hunger, diminished lighting and shadows created as the sun sets, and over stimulation.  These factors can lead to a decline in the person's abilities.  Increased difficulty performing tasks or communicating during sundowning results in frustration, anxiety and belligerence in the person with memory impairment.  Without help or therapeutic interventions, the person will likely become physically and/or verbally aggressive as his frustration rises.

The caregiver's fatigue after a long day only further complicates the sundowning issue.  After all, it is only human for the caregiver to be exhausted at the end of the day.  Certainly, sundowning is a challenge for the most refreshed caregiver starting a new shift in a long-term care facility.  Imagine the stress and increased frustration a caregiver must feel in the home setting, where many times she is alone in her caregiving endeavors. Avoiding sundowning is the ultimate goal of caregivers.  Techniques for reducing sundowning symptoms include making sure inside lighting is adequate at dusk.  Turn on overhead lights to create well-lit areas and eliminate shadows.

When planning the day, limit busy activities, errands and visits from family to morning or early afternoon.  As the day progresses, plan easier tasks and soothing activities for later in the day.  Planning rest periods throughout the day is helpful to try to reduce fatigue later.  At the time of day when the person usually begins to experience agitation and restlessness approaches, plan a short nap (20 minutes).  Increase the calming effect by spritzing the person's pillow case with the scent of lavender just before nap time.

During late afternoon and early evening, focus on maintaining a soothing environment.  Eliminate unnecessary background noise such as radios & televisions.  Give an easy task to the patient such as putting placemats & napkins on the table for dinner.  This will keep the person occupied without overwhelming him.

For more information contact the Dubin Alzheimer's Resource Center, (United Way agency) (239) 437-3007 DUBINCTR@aol.com  Dotty St. Amand is executive director of the Alvin A. Dubin Alzheimer's Resource Center in Ft. Myers, which provides support groups & other services in the Lee County Area.  She also has also been a nursing home administrator.

LONELINESS ASSOCIATED WITH INCREASED RISK OF ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE (AD)

Lonely individuals may be twice as likely to develop the type of dementia linked to AD in late life as those who are not lonely according to an article in the Washington Post, written by Shankar Vedantom.  Healthy people from diverse backgrounds in Chicago were asked whether the following statement described them "I experience a general sense of emptiness.  I miss having people around.  I feel like I don't have enough friends.  I often feel abandoned.  I miss having a really good friend".  Over a four year period 76 out of 823 people developed dementia.  Researchers found they were likely to be men, to be poorer, to have lower levels of mental activity-----and to have said that the statements describing loneliness applied to them.  No one knows why loneliness is associated with a risk of dementia, the researchers noted in the study (published in the Archives of General Psychiatry).  "Overall, these data suggest that both the quantity of social interaction and the quality of social attachments affect risk of late-life dementia" they concluded.  (Article published in the Palm Beach Post 2/10/07).

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VASCULAR SOURCE FOR ALZHEIMER'S (Source: psychcentral.com)  University of Rochester study suggests that reduced blood flow to the brain precedes the decline in cognition characteristic of Alzheimer's disease (AD).  Considerable attention has been given to brain cell changes associated with AD, relatively little focus has been placed on what initiates the profound cellular alterations.  Researchers report that while the first visible symptoms of Alzheimer's may be forgetting names or faces, the first physical change is a decline in the amount of blood flow to the brain.  "People used to say, the brain is atrophying because of the disease, the reduced blood flow, " said Dr. Berislav Zlokovic.  Mark Warner <agelessdesign@aol.com>1/23/07

Leonora J. Sicular joylar@att.net

Region III Alzheimer's Chair Person

NORTH AMERICAN PHASE III TRIALS FOR ALZHEMED COMPLETED (pnewswire.com) Neurochem announced the completion of an 18 month clinical trial for tramiprosate (ALZHEMED) for the treatment of Alzheimer’s Disease (AD). The study involved over one thousand patients at 67 clinical sites across the U. S. and Canada. “The completion of our study is a major milestone in Neurochem’s efforts to potentially offer an innovative treatment for AD patients and marks a very important achievement for our company” said Dr. Francesco Bellini, President & CEO of Neurochem. “Our goal is to release the results of this trial in the spring of 2007. We sincerely thank everyone who contributed to this state-of-the art trial with a special thanks to the patients, their families, and their caregivers who agreed to participate and helped us advance a program which could lead to a potential breakthrough treatment for AD”. A similar European Phase III clinical trial for Alzhemed will start soon. I t will involve 930 mild-to-moderate AD patients at more than 70 clinical centers in 10 European countries. For full story ewarner@agelessdesign.org 2/01/07

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ALZHEIMER’S PROTEIN FINGERPRINT (Source:rsc.org) A group of scientists led by Kelvin Lee at Cornel Medical School has discovered a pattern of proteins that are indicative of Alzheimer’s Disease (AD). The proteins were found in samples of cerebrospinal fluid (SSF) protective fluid surrounding the brains and spinal cord. Lee said “This protein sequence was an accurate marker of Alzheimer’s almost 90% of the time, compared to current methods of detection that are only 80% accurate”. “The impact really goes beyond diagnostics. This type of test could be used to monitor drug efficacy during clinical trials. Changes in these proteins associated with the disease and with drug treatment could be continually measured. It is just as important to identify that a patient does not have Alzheimer’s so that the correct diagnosis can be made as early as possible” he said. For full story ewarner@agelessdesign.org l/04/07

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 CHINESE HERB MAY PREVENT ALZHEIMER’S (cbs3.com) Researchers are testing a new way to prevent or at least slow down Alzheimer’s Disease (AD). It’s a Chinese herb that early research shows might be better than the drugs currently being used to treat AD and slow down memory loss. When new memories travel through our brain they are led by a chemical called acetylcholine. Alzheimer’s deteriorates the production of this chemical, in effect stealing memories. The herb huperzine may be able to change that. “If you can prop up the amount of the acety lcholine that is there, that’s available, flowing through the neurons then memory can be sustained” said Dr. Hillel Grossman, Mt. Sinai School of Medicine. Researchers are still testing the herb and looking for volunteers. For full story ewarner@agelessdesign.org l/11/007

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CELL DISCOVERY COULD OPEN PATH TO BREAKTHROUGHS (source:ajc.com) University of Georgia scientist Steve Stice has discovered a way to manufacture billions of embryonic stem cells that could shorten the search for cures for Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases by years. Stem cells are prized by researchers because of their unique ability to develop into other body cells – repairing, rebuilding or replacing damaged or diseased tissues. For full story ewarner@agelessdesign.org 1/26/07

FREE ON-LINE SERVICE HELPS CAREGIVERS IDENTIFY AND CLAIM BENEFITS (Source: Business Wire)

Caregivers can find benefit programs for low income seniors using the National Council on Aging's (NCOA) BenefitsCheckup, a free and confidential online service that helps seniors determine benefits that they qualify for and how to claim them.  Benefits-Checkup includes more than 1300 different programs from all 50 states and the District of Columbia.  An average of more than 50 programs can be available to qualified seniors in each state.  The program can help caregivers and seniors find prescription drug savings, health care programs, in-home services, financial assistance, legal services, housing assistance, property tax programs, nutrition programs, and volunteer and training opportunities.  For more info: benefitscheckup.com. 

For full story: businesswire.com  ("Mark Warner"agelessd@aol.com  11/8/06)

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REPORT ON ALZHEMED CLINICAL TRIAL (Source:PR Newswire)  Neurochem, Inc. published a report on their Phase II Clinical trial of Alzhemed (tramiprosate) for the treatment of persons with mild-to-moderate Alzheimer's Disease (AD). Dr. Paul S. Aisen, Professor of Neurology and Medicine at Georgetown Univ. Medical Center stated "The Phase II results show that Alzhemed enters the central nervous system where it reduces levels of A (beta)."  The results reported

in an online paper indicate that long-term use of the drug is safe, tolerated and reduces the level of amyloid (beta) 42 in the cerebrospinal fluid of AD patients.  In addition, cognitive test scores remained near baseline levels in the mild AD group over the 20 months of follow-up.  Alzhemed is currently in Phase III testing which is hoped to be completed by January 2007.  Full story:yahoo.com  ( "Mark Warner" agelessd@aol.com 11/03/06)

Region III Alzheimer's Chairperson

JUICES MAY REDUCE ALZHEIMER'S RISK (Source: EurekAlert)  In a study published in the American Journal of Medicine, researchers studying 2000 people for as many as ten years, report that those who drank fruit and vegetable juices more than 3x a week had a 76% less chance of developing Alzheimer's disease.  The reason appears to be that the strong anti-oxidants contained in fruits and vegetables seem to disrupt the accumulation of beta-amyloid in the brain.  Dr. Qi Dai commented "We found that frequent drinking of fruit and vegetable juices was associated with a substantially decreased risk of Alzheimer's disease.  These findings are new and suggest that fruits & vegetables play an important role in delaying the onset of Alzheimer's disease.

For full story eurekalert.org "Mark Warner" agelessd@aol.com 8/31/06

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HIGH-COPPER AND FAT DIET RISKS MENTAL DECLINE (Source: JAMA)  Researchers from Rush University Medical Center report that elderly people whose diets are rich in copper and heavy in saturated fats risk mental decline that could be related to the onset of Alzheimers Disease.  In the study, some of the subjects who consumed at least 1.6 milligrams of copper a day along with foods heavy in saturated and trans fat added the equivalent of 19 years to their ages in terms of mental decline.  While copper is essential for brain development, the study found that too much copper in the blood stream may block the body's ability to rid itself of the proteins that form plaques in the brains of Alzheimer's patients.  Studies have also indicated, people whose diets are heavy in fats were at up to 3x the risk of Alzheimer's Disease "Mark Warner" agelessd@aol.com  8/15/06

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MEMANTINE EASES ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE BEHAVIORAL SYMPTOMS (Source: Lundbeck)  New data indicates that Ebixa is effective in improving & stabilizing aggression, delusions and hallucinations experienced by people with moderately severe Alzheimer's.  (Memantine is marketed in the UK as Ebixa and in the US as Namenda).  "These data highlight that Ebixa has a particularly pronounced effect in Alzheimer's patients with behavioral disturbances.  We know that the symptoms of agitation and aggression associated with Alzheimer's are upsetting for patients as well as carers, who find it difficult to cope with the changes in their loved ones," commented Lundbeck's Senior VP of Drug Development, Anders Gersel Pedersen 

For full story: pharmiweb.com  "Mark Warner" agelessd@aol.com 9/06/06

Leonora J. Sicular (joylar@att.net)  Region III Alzheimer's Chairperson 

ALZHEIMER'S CAREGIVERS PROGRAM TO BE HELD ON SEPT 14TH.  (Ft. Myers, Florida)

On Thursday, Sept. 14th, Alvin A Dubin Alzheimer's Resource Center and Gulf Coast Village will hold an Alzheimer's disease program for family caregivers, "Don't Let Caregiving Blow You Away" will be held from 9:00 A.M. to 12.30 A.M. at Gulf Coast Village  1333 Santa Barbara Blvd., Cape Coral, Fl.  The program will begin with a panel presentation addressing helpful tips for putting a safety plan together in the home setting.  Panelists include Elise Eifert, health educator for the Dubin Alzheimer's Resource Center, Stacey Payne of the Lee County Sheriff's Project Lifesaver Program and Mark Warner, AIA of Ageless Design.  Mark Warner is the author of the Complete Guide  to Alzheimer's Proofing Your Home and the new workbook In Search of the Alzheimer's Wanderer.  Moderator will be Dotty St. Amand, Executive Director of Dubin Alzheimer's Resource Center.

Presentation will be followed by a free luncheon for caregivers.  Each family caregiver will receive a free copy of

Mark Warner's workbook "In Search of the Alzheimer's Wanderer".  There will also be a drawing for door prizes.  Program and lunch are provided free of charge.  RSVP to (239)437-3007 by Sept. 11th.  For more information call this number.

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A DRUG TRIGGERS TO REVERSE MEMORY LOSS (Source: Medical News Today)  According to researchers at UC Irvine, a class of drugs known at ampakines does more than just treat the symptoms of Alzheimer's disease.  The drugs also trigger the body's natural abilities to reverse memory loss.  The researchers explained, by boosting the production of a naturally occurring protein in the brain necessary for long-term memory formation, ampakines continue to reverse the effects of aging on a brain mechanism even after they are no longer in the body. (For full story:medicalnewstoday.com)"Mark Warner"agelessd@aol.com 8/01/06  

Leonora J. Sicular (joylar@att.net) Alzheimer's Chairperson