Hot Group Topic: Article – How Doctors Die

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CT Scanner, Crash Cart

CT Scanner, Crash Cart (Photo credit: Civilian Scrabble)

The blog piece, How Doctors Die, It’s Not Like the Rest of Us, But It Should Be by Ken Murray, MD, has come up repeatedly in more than one of my San Francisco support groups .. and around the internet .. and newspapers, and blogs, ..

It’s not a frequent topic of discussion, but doctors die, too. And they don’t die like the rest of us. What’s unusual about them is not how much treatment they get compared to most Americans, but how little.

An interesting read, and something to think about when planning for yourself and your loved ones.  Just a bit of the ripple effect created by this article can be explored in the related article section below, but the Time article by Shannon Brownlee nicely expands on the themes begun in Ken Murray’s article. Continue reading →

Alzheimer’s Antibody Research: New Breakthroughs and Old Problems

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Antibody Rendering (Credit: Image courtesy of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute)

Sciencedaily.com recently post this article about the development of an Alzheimer’s antibody. According to Assistant Professor of Chemical and Biological Engineering Peter Tessier and his colleagues at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and with funding from the Alzheimer’s Association, the National Science Foundation (NSF), and the Pew Charitable Trust, a new method for designing antibodies in a “surprisingly simple” way has produced some promising results.

Using antibodies to attack and eliminate offending proteins, like APoE4, is nothing new and the buzz around this type of treatment did not appear without promising initial results. However, upon further trials, some of the early attempts have resulted in only “okay” results often due to dangerous side effects like brain swelling.

So whats the big deal? Continue reading →

Article Review: Understanding Alzheimer’s: 8 Common Myths Debunked

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This Huffington Post article: Understanding Alzheimer’s: 8 Common Myths Debunked by Marguerite Manteau-Rao was recently brought into one of our family caregiver support groups. It is a quick, succinct read that may help some people to feel a bit more connected to their loved one.

From Huffington Post: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/marguerite-manteaurao/alzheimers_b_833644.html

We All Fall Down (Part 1)

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Illustration "Humpty Dumpty" by Jason Noble Hays 2012 For most people reading this, it is probably not news that falls can be very serious for older adults.  I found some surprising statistics on the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website. Which prompted a this two-part post on balance issues, the prevalence of falls in older adults, how to reduce falls in the home, and a few Aging-Matters-Style pointers on how to do a fall prevention “sweep” in the home.

Some surprising points covered in the CDC’s fact sheet on falls:

  • Falls are the leading cause of death among adults 65 and older.
  • Over the past 10 years, fall related deaths have risen sharply among older men and women.
  • Moderate to severe injuries (ie. lacerations, hip fractures and head trauma) occur in 20 to 30% of the falls reported. Many falls aren’t reported at all.
  • Almost 20,000 fall related deaths were reported in 2008
  • In 2009 2.2 million non-fatal falls were treated in U.S. Emergency rooms.
  • Falls can be a downward spiral. Injuries and the fear that result  from falling can limit individuals’ activities. This can lead to reduced mobility and reduced physical fitness which then increases the risks of further falls.
  • Men fall more than women but women experience fractures more often then men. Continue reading →

Laughter is the Best Medicine

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A new Australian study coming from The Arts Health Institute looks at the impact of humor therapy on mood, agitation, behavioral disturbances and social engagement in dementia patients. The SMILE study spanned 36 Australian assisted living communities and found a 20 percent reduction in agitation – results equal to that of drug therapies. This study is slated for presentation at Australia’s National Dementia Research Forum this week.

The Arts Health Institute is part of The Dementia Collaborative Research Centers funded by the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia.