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Joel S. Ross, MD |
MD FACP AGSF CMD CPI |
President and Founder |
Memory Enhancement Center |
of America, Inc. |
4 Industrial Way West, 2nd Floor |
Eatontown, New Jersey 07724 |
732.571.1535 |
Alzheimer’s – Audio Interview
By Joel Ross | September 15, 2011
Find out everything you need to know about Alzheimer’s, and add to that, the results of Bert’s memory test…INTERESTING AND VERY INFORMATIVE TO SAY THE LEAST!
Joel S. Ross MD FACP AGSF CMD CPI
President/Founder/CEO
Topics: Audio / Interviews | No Comments »
Earlier diagnosis for Alzheimer’s Disease ESSENTIAL
By Joel Ross | September 14, 2011
Hugely important update in the field of early recognition: Please read below.
Early Diagnosis Of Alzheimer’s Disease Has Health, Financial And Social Benefits: Call For Nations To Support Early Diagnosis And Intervention
Main Category: Alzheimer’s / Dementia
Article Date: 14 Sep 2011 – 1:00 PDT
Alzheimer’s or Dementia? – Learn the important differences between Alzheimer’s & Dementia. – www.JohnsHopkinsHealthAlerts.com
The World Alzheimer’s Report 2011 ‘The Benefits of Early Diagnosis and Intervention’, released by Alzheimer’s Disease International (ADI), shows that there are interventions that are effective in the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease, some of which may be more effective when started earlier, and that there is a strong economic argument in favour of earlier diagnosis and timely intervention.
ADI commissioned a team of researchers led by Professor Martin Prince from King’s College London Institute of Psychiatry, to undertake the first-ever, comprehensive, systematic review of all evidence on early diagnosis and early intervention for dementia.
Currently, the majority of people with dementia receive a diagnosis late in the course of the disease, if at all, resulting in a substantial ‘treatment gap’. This greatly limits their access to valuable information, treatment, care, and support and compounds problems for all involved – patients, families, carers, communities and health professionals.
Lead author Prof Prince said: ‘There is no single way to close the treatment gap worldwide. What is clear is that every country needs a national dementia strategy that promotes early diagnosis and a continuum of care thereafter. Primary care services, specialist diagnostic and treatment centres and community-based services all have a part to play, but to differing degrees depending upon resources.’
‘Failure to diagnose Alzheimer’s in a timely manner represents a tragic missed opportunity to improve the quality of life for millions of people,’ said Dr. Daisy Acosta, Chairman of ADI. ‘It only adds to an already massive global health, social, and fiscal challenge – one we hope to see in the spotlight at next week’s United Nations Summit on Non-Communicable Diseases.’
The new ADI report reveals the following:
As many as three-quarters of the estimated 36 million people worldwide living with dementia have not been diagnosed and hence cannot benefit from treatment, information and care. In high-income countries, only 20-50% of dementia cases are recognized and documented in primary care. In low- and middle-income countries, this proportion could be as low as 10%.
Failure to diagnose often results from the false belief that dementia is a normal part of aging, and that nothing can be done to help. On the contrary, the new report finds that interventions can make a difference, even in the early stages of the illness.
Drugs and psychological interventions for people with early-stage dementia can improve cognition, independence, and quality of life. Support and counselling for caregivers can improve mood, reduce strain and delay institutionalization of people with dementia.
Governments, concerned about the rising costs of long-term care linked to dementia, should spend now to save later. Based on a review of economic analyses, the report estimates that earlier diagnosis could yield net savings of over US$10,000 per patient in high-income countries.
‘Over the past year, the research team has reviewed thousands of scientific studies detailing the impact of early diagnosis and treatment, and we have found evidence to suggest real benefits for patients and caregivers,’ said Marc Wortmann, Executive Director of ADI.
‘Earlier diagnosis can also transform the design and execution of clinical trials to test new treatments. But first we need to ensure that people have access to the effective interventions that are already proven and available, which means that health systems need to be prepared, trained and skilled to provide timely and accurate diagnoses, communicated sensitively, with appropriate support.’
To that end, ADI recommends that every country have a national Alzheimer’s/dementia strategy that promotes early diagnosis and intervention. More specifically, governments must:
Promote basic competency among physicians and other health care professionals in early detection of dementia in primary care services.
Where feasible, create networks of specialist diagnostic centres to confirm early-stage dementia diagnosis and formulate care management plans.
In resource-poor settings, apply the World Health Organization’s recently developed guidelines for diagnosis and initial management by non-specialist health workers.
Publicize the availability of evidence-based interventions that are effective in improving cognitive function, treating depression, improving caregiver mood and delaying institutionalization.
Increase investment in research – especially randomized control trials to test drugs earlier and over longer periods of time, and to test the efficacy of interventions with particular relevance to early-stage dementia.
About dementia and Alzheimer’s disease
Dementia is a syndrome that can be caused by a number of progressive disorders that affect memory, thinking, behavior and the ability to perform everyday activities. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of dementia. According to the World Alzheimer Report 2009, the number of people with dementia is forecast to nearly double every 20 years – from 36 million in 2010 to 115 million in 2050. According to the World Alzheimer Report 2010, the costs associated with dementia totaled US$604 billion, about 1% of global GDP.
September 2011 is the first-ever World Alzheimer’s Month.*
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NAPA
By Joel Ross | September 12, 2011
The National Alzheimer’s Project Act is now “in session”. This means 12 very well qualified US citizens have been appointed to be non partisan members of this federally sponsored/financed team of experts.
I was not chosen to serve, but who am I. Just one of the very few board certified, fellowship trained geriatricians who has taken care of now over 10000 (yes thousand) dementia sufferers from time of diagnosis to attending countless funerals of these victims of this horrifying disease: Alzheimer’s.
Enough with the “sour grapes” not being chosen.
Today one of the “chosen” members, Eric Hall, President and CEO of the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America held a forum via a teleconference and a wonderful exchange of ideas took place.
Eric stressed three areas of key interest to bring to the “White House”.
1. Increased awareness of dementia/AD in the primary care/specialty areas in the US.
2. Increased funding for governmental research into the causes/cures/care of AD victims and their loved ones.
3. Increased research into the long term care needs of patients diagnosed with AD.
It is a fine start and I applaud Eric Hall and NAPA for taking these important “baby steps”.
I for one will be behind NAPA 100% of the way!
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More on Pat Summit
By Joel Ross | August 24, 2011
This article was written by LYNN ZINSER and appeared in the Associated Press
By LYNN ZINSER
Published: August 23, 2011
Pat Summitt, the longtime women’s basketball coach at Tennessee who has won more games than any other major college coach, said she forgot things at crucial points in games at times last season and struggled to keep track of when meetings were scheduled. She grew so confused that on a few days she simply stayed home from work.
It was not until after the season ended that she sought a medical diagnosis and learned she has symptoms of early onset Alzheimer’s disease.
Ms. Summitt, 59, revealed the diagnosis on Tuesday, and said she planned to continue to coach. She said her doctor at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., encouraged her to continue as long as she felt up to it.
“I plan to continue to be your coach,” Ms. Summitt said in a videotaped statement posted on the university’s Web site. “Obviously, I realize I may have some limitations with this condition since there will be some good days and some bad days.”
Ms. Summitt built a powerhouse program in Knoxville that often outshone the university’s men’s team, amassing 1,079 victories that make her the most successful Division I coach of either gender. She will enter her 38th season at Tennessee in pursuit of her ninth national title.
Long known for a steely, intense coaching style, Ms. Summitt will now also be the public face of a debilitating disease.
Early onset Alzheimer’s is a progressive disease. Experts say that every case is different, so it is impossible to say how long Ms. Summitt will be able to work, but she said she hoped to manage the symptoms with medication and mental exercises. She said that she has a family history of dementia, with her grandmother having a severe case.
According to the Alzheimer’s Association, more than 5 million people in the United States have the disease — including 200,000 younger than 65 — and it is the sixth-leading cause of death in the country. The cause is unknown, there is no cure and the treatment involves managing the disease’s symptoms.
“Early diagnosis is really important,” said Beth Kallmyer, the senior director of constituent services for the Alzheimer’s Association. “It gives people the opportunity to go out and do what they want to do with their lives while they can.
“It is a debilitating and fatal disease, but people can go on with their lives and their jobs.”
Ms. Summitt’s bosses at Tennessee agreed to support her decision to coach, they said, because of her legacy and the strength of her coaching staff.
“There’s not going to be any pity party, and I’ll make sure of that,” Ms. Summitt told The Knoxville News Sentinel. “I feel better just knowing what I’m dealing with. And as far as I’m concerned, it’s not going to keep me from living my life, not going to keep me from coaching.”
Ms. Summitt granted interviews to The News Sentinel and The Washington Post but declined other requests.
Ms. Summitt battled her illness and the accompanying uncertainty last season, but Tennessee still finished 34-3 and won the Southeastern Conference regular season and tournament titles. The Lady Vols reached the final eight of the N.C.A.A. tournament, which is considered a disappointment at a program annually expected to contend for the national championship.
“I just felt something was different,” she told The Washington Post. “And at the time I didn’t know what I was dealing with. Until I went to Mayo, I couldn’t know for sure. But I can remember trying to coach and trying to figure out schemes and whatever and it just wasn’t coming to me, like, I would typically say, ‘We’re gonna do this, and run that.’ And it probably caused me to second-guess.”
According to Ms. Kallmyer, the progression of the disease affects people in different ways, but Ms. Summitt’s many years of coaching experience could help her.
“One of the early symptoms is difficulty learning new material and understanding new ideas,” Ms. Kallmyer said. “Someone who is doing something they’re very skilled at might have fewer problems with that.”
Ms. Summitt sought medical help after the season. At first, she thought the problem involved medication she takes for rheumatoid arthritis, but doctors quickly steered her to the Mayo Clinic for further testing. She said she spent several weeks in denial and angry about the news before slowly accepting it.
Tennessee’s interim athletic director, Joan Cronan, the university’s longtime women’s sports administrator, said there were concerns about Ms. Summitt’s continuing to coach, including a fear that it could hurt recruiting or distract from the team’s efforts. But Ms. Cronan said she and Tennessee’s chancellor, Jimmy Cheek, agreed that Ms. Summitt remained an asset to the university and to the sport.
“She is an icon not only for women’s basketball, but all of women’s athletics,” Ms. Cronan said in a statement. “For Pat to stand up and share her health news is just a continuing example of her courage. Life is an unknown and none of us has a crystal ball. But I do have a record of knowing what Pat Summitt stands for: excellence, strength, honesty and courage.”
Ms. Summitt told her team the news on Tuesday, the first day the players were all on campus. “More than anything, she just emphasized that she’s our coach and that she wanted us to have complete confidence in her, and we do,” the junior guard Taber Spani told reporters after the meeting.
Ms. Summitt’s biggest rival, Connecticut Coach Geno Auriemma, who is touring with his team in Italy, said he was shocked and saddened by the news.
“You don’t necessarily associate dementia with people our age, so this announcement really put things in perspective,” he said in a statement.
Throughout her diagnosis and the slow process of coming to grips with it over the summer, Ms. Summitt said she stuck close to her son Tyler, a junior at Tennessee and a walk-on with the men’s basketball team. Tyler Summitt, 20, was by her side during her interviews.
“She’s always better when she knows what she’s fighting against,” he told The News Sentinel. “She had recommendations, what to do and what routine to get into, and she’s going to prepare just like a game for her health.”
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Glen Campbell and now Pat Summitt
By Joel Ross | August 24, 2011
These two truly iconic figures, in entertainment and sports should serve to alert all citizen of the world that Alzheimer’s Disease is an equally opportunity offender/illness.
He is 75 and she is only 59 years of age. This scourge of a disease needs to be wiped out and NOW. The governmental agencies/health authorities are doing very little to solve this mysterious illness. The amount spent researching this killer is a small percentage compared to cancer, heart disease, HIV and strokes.
We all need to take a stand and write our “elected representatives” to redouble their efforts to study this malady and increase the spending 10 fold at a minimum.
Both of these two legendary people will succumb to this disease as there are no effective medicines “on the market” and no over the counter treatments that will slow this irreversible thief of a disease: robs the patient of all the memory!!!
Time to act is now.
Write to your elected officials today and demand more funding for this research!!!
Topics: Uncategorized | 1 Comment »