If we look beyond sensationalized headlines of how a cure is eminent or exists (in 2 lab mice) there is a path for progress or at least informed discussion. I know the devastation of Alzheimer's Disease. Not the media version where everyone has resources for exceptional care but from my own family journey.
Not to sound negative but we don't seem to know much "for sure". We know demographic and statistical data--5 million Americans, no treatments, and with an aging country it isn't anticipated to improve. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) have released 2014-2015 Alzheimers's Disease Progress Report. I will be unpacking the findings of the report in future posts.
Not to sound negative but we don't seem to know much "for sure". We know demographic and statistical data--5 million Americans, no treatments, and with an aging country it isn't anticipated to improve. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) have released 2014-2015 Alzheimers's Disease Progress Report. I will be unpacking the findings of the report in future posts.
You can find links to many of the governmental programs, reports, and councils that have been created to accelerate research, improve quality of care, and services for patients and families. The National Alzheimer's Project Act (NAPA), National Plan to Address Alzheimer's Disease, Common Alzheimer Disease Research Ontology (CADRO) and International Alzheimer's Disease Research Portfolio (IADRP).
In 2013, NIH-supported economists calculated that caring for people with Alzheimer’s disease in 2010 cost the U.S. health care and long-term care systems between $159 billion and $215 billion, depending on how informal caregiver costs were assessed (Hurd et al., 2013). The researchers estimated direct costs of dementia care purchased in the market at $109 billion in 2010. To place that figure in context, that same year, direct health care costs for heart disease and cancer were estimated at $102 billion and $77 billion, respectively. Even if recent, favorable trends in disease prevalence continue, care costs are expected to rise dramatically in the coming decades with the aging of the population. This increase may be exacerbated by the current epidemic of diabetes, a known risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease.
This post is a summary of a few of the topics we will explore in greater depth over the upcoming weeks and months. The CADRO classifications are below:
Category A. Molecular Pathogenesis and Pathophysiology of Alzheimer’s Disease
Category B. Diagnosis, Assessment and Disease Monitoring
Category C. Translational Research and Clinical Interventions
Category D. Epidemiology
Category E. Care, Support and Health Economics of Alzheimer’s Disease
Category F. Research Resources
Category G. Consortia and Public Private Partnerships
Category A. Molecular Pathogenesis and Pathophysiology of Alzheimer’s Disease
Category B. Diagnosis, Assessment and Disease Monitoring
Category C. Translational Research and Clinical Interventions
Category D. Epidemiology
Category E. Care, Support and Health Economics of Alzheimer’s Disease
Category F. Research Resources
Category G. Consortia and Public Private Partnerships
Here is a graphic that describes progress in understanding the genetics of Alzheimer's Disease.
One of the professional highlights from 2015 included the opportunity to attend the White House Council On Aging and the National Health Statistics Conference. Now that the travel is quiet for a month or two, I am hoping to share the findings and opportunties discussed. The data is available, now it is time to see what we can discover.
Stay tuned...and please share the blog if you find the topics interesting or compelling.
Improving Numeracy in Medicine in color and print is available and will soon be available on Amazon. The e-book and black and white print are there now...last day for pre-order rate of $5.99.
Improving Numeracy in Medicine in color and print is available and will soon be available on Amazon. The e-book and black and white print are there now...last day for pre-order rate of $5.99.
