Monterey, CA Coronavirus Update From A Carmel Caregiver : Alzheimer’s & Dementia Huge Risk Factors

There were 63 new COVID-19 cases announced for Monterey County, bringing the total up to 40,971 and three new deaths were reported.  Nationwide, the number of cases are going down.  There were less than 100K new cases, for a total of 27.193 million.  Deaths rose by 4,472 to 471,97.  However, new research found that, sadly, those with dementia are more likely to be hospitalized than people who are the same age without dementia.  The analysis of nearly 62 million electronic medical records in the U.S. also found that Black people with dementia were at very high risk of getting COVID-19.  Researchers said that the data could not be explained entirely by common characteristics common to people with dementia (old age, living in a nursing home and having conditions like obesity asthma, diabetes and cardiovascular disease).  Taking into account those risk factors, those with dementia were still twice as likely to get coronavirus than their counterparts at the same age without dementia.  In California, there were a hefty 11,853 new cases (less than half of the prior day’s total of 26,660) for a total of 3.446 million, while deaths rose by 700 to 45,232.  Please stay home and stay safe.

Please visit us at www.familyinhomecaregiving.com

 

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/09/health/covid-dementia-risk.html?campaign_id=9&emc=edit_nn_20210209&instance_id=26954&nl=the-morning&regi_id=105425463&segment_id=51349&te=1&user_id=0fafdefaa53c0a82473acdaa719a0aac

Monterey, CA Tips For Alzheimer’s & Dementia Caregivers When Adult Day Care Centers Are ClosedCare Centers Are Closed

The San Francisco Chronicle had a great column with advice for those caring for a loved one who has Alzheimer’s or some other form of dementia.  This can be a challenge with Adult Day Care Centers closed and little contact with the outside world. Recommendations from their experts include broadening your network to have a friend or family member help.  This can release stress on the caregiver while giving some social interaction to the person you are caring for.  In addition, try putting on some soothing music and get them outdoors.  Fresh air and sunlight are good for the soul.  Start out with a small walk, and increase it a bit every day.  If you need someone to talk to, try the local branch of the Alzheimer’s Association which is located in Ryan Ranch.  Regular readers of my blog know that both my father and grandmother had this terrible disease when they passed away, and Alzheimer’s Association was a great help.  They also have a 24-hour hotline if you need support at 800-272-3900.

https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/My-father-has-dementia-How-do-I-keep-him-engaged-15923039.php

Monterey, CA Anthony Hopkins Stars In Heartbreaking Film About Slipping Into Alzheimer’s & Dementia

A mother and a daughter leaning on each other and smiling

Anthony Hopkins has the lead role in a film called “The Father” about a man who refused help as he slips deeper into Alzheimer’s disease.  The film brings viewers inside the mind of the patient, allowing filmgoers to get inside the head of someone with dementia.  “It can strike anyone at any moment,” notes Hopkins.  Although he is in his 80’s, he said he is loving this stage of life.  “The past five years have been extraordinarily lucky, and the best time my life,” he said. Regular readers of my blog know that both my father and grandmother had this terrible disease when they passed away.  There are great people at our local chapter of Alzheimer’s Association in Ryan’s Ranch.  They also have a 24-hour hotline if you need support at 800-272-3900.

Singer Tony Bennett Has Had Alzheimer’s Disease For Five Years

AARP The Magazine revealed that Tony Bennett was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease back in 2016 but it has not been revealed to the public until now because he wanted to continue to tour.  He has performed publicly as recently as 2019 and even has concert dates scheduled for later this year, with the first one starting in March.  I can see how he would want to continue performing as music does stimulate the brain.  There have been studies of Alzheimer’s patients showing that when music is played their brains really perk up.

https://www.aarp.org/entertainment/celebrities/info-2021/tony-bennett-alzheimers.html

Monterey, CA New Hope For Alzheimer’s Drug

A senior woman sitting and looking out from the window

The Food & Drug Administration FDA is taking another look at aducanumab, a potential new drug for treating Alzheimer’s Disease and dementia.  The drug candidate will undergo an additional three months of review after a panel of experts in November recommended against approving the drug.  Biogen and Eisai partnered on the development of the drug and delivered new data to the FDA, triggering the prolonged review time.  An independent committee of experts had criticism of both the drug’s merits and the interpretation of data by FDA scientists.  Biogen said the data from one clinical trial showed a slowing in cognitive decline compared to study participants who received a placebo.  In the second clinical trial, the drug failed to show a benefit.  However, Biogen says it is likely because fewer patients received the higher dosage.  Regular readers of my blog know that both my father and grandmother had this terrible disease when they passed away.  There are great people at our local chapter of Alzheimer’s Association in Ryan’s Ranch.  They also have a 24-hour hotline if you need support at 800-272-3900.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/fda-extends-review-of-biogen-eisais-alzheimers-drug-11611935425

 

Monterey, CA High Hopes For New Alzheimer’s Drug

A microscopic look at Alzheimer’s Disease

There has been so much bad news on the Alzheimer’s front, it was refreshing to read that an experimental treatment from Eli Lilly & Company helped patients.  Granted, it was a small trial of 272 people with mild Alzheimer’s disease, but results show that donanemab met the primary goal of the study, slowing the decline in memory and the ability to perform activities of daily living by 32% over an 18-month period.  Lilly is so excited about the results that it started enrolling another 500 subjects for a new study to confirm the findings.

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/11/health/alzheimers-amyloid-lilly.html

Monterey, CA Last Day To Have Alzheimer’s Association Donation Quadrupled

Tomorrow is the last day to have your donation to the Alzheimer’s Association quadrupled!  A generous donor has agreed to quadruple donations of up to $150,000 through year-end.  Regular readers of my blog know that both my father and my grandmother had this terrible disease when they died.  Please take advantage of this generous offer and speak to the kind people at the Monterey Office of Alzheimer’s Association if you have any questions at (831) 647-9890.

https://act.alz.org/site/Donation2?df_id=47423&mfc_pref=T&47423.donation=form1&WT.mc_id=enews2020_12_30&utm_source=enews-aff-20&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=enews-2020-12-30&utm_content=homeoffice&utm_term=Story2

Monterey, CA Artificial Intelligence Programs May Help Predict Alzheimer’s Disease

An Artificial Intelligence Program, AI, analyzed the language of study participants and found it could be able to predict whether people with no memory or thinking problems would develop Alzheimer’s disease later in life.  Funded by Pfizer and conducted by IBM, the program accurately predicted up to 74% of participants that were diagnosed with the disease later in life.  The study which was published in the journal EClinicalMedicine, analyzed 700 written samples from 27 participants in another study conducted decades ago.  Based on written samples, the study more accurately predicts Alzheimer’s disease than other research.  Experts say that tracking language over time could be done as part of routine medical exams. Regular readers of my blog know that both my grandmother and my father died from this terrible disease, and I am a big fan of our local Monterey chapter of Alzheimer’s Association.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/health/2020/10/22/ibm-study-found-program-analyzing-language-predicts-alzheimers/3728608001/

First Alzheimer’s Blood Test Is Available

A senior woman sitting and looking out from the window

Although the test has not yet been approved by the Food & Drug Administration (FDA),  C2N Diagnostics has started selling a first of its kind : a blood test to help diagnose Alzheimer’s disease.  Founders of the company include Dr. David Holtzman and Dr. Randall Bateman, both from the Washington University School of Medicine.  The easiest way to diagnose Alzheimer’s disease to date has been an expensive PET brain scan which most insurance companies don’t cover.  The new blood test is not covered by insurance either.  However, the company offers discounts based on income against the retail price of $1,250. Speak to your doctor about ordering it if you are having concerns about dementia.

https://apnews.com/article/1st-blood-test-diagnose-alzheimer-sale-84a142c77b410d0ac562559e16f8c3f4

Researchers Studying Why Alzheimer’s Cases Are Clustered In Certain Counties

A senior woman sitting and looking out from the window

Several studies have found that there is a correlation between where you live and the likelihood that you will get Alzheimer’s disease or some other form of dementia.  U.S. researchers are now turning to see what, if any, common risk factors are involved.  The data shows that the prevalence of Alzheimer’s disease is higher in the Southeast and Gulf States (including Florida and Texas), compared with Western states like Arizona and Colorado.  Studies released this year have found higher rates of Alzheimer’s in poor neighborhoods and in rural Appalachia compared with non-Appalachian rural counties.  Another study from UsAgainstAlzheimer’s and the Urban Institute identified 25 counties with the highest prevalence of Alzheimer’s disease for Blacks, Latinos and Whites based on Medicare data.    These studies are important as we need to identify where the hot spots are so we can devote more financial resources to combatting this terrible disease.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/alzheimers-research-looks-at-hot-spots-across-the-u-s-11605558173