HealthBridge's In-Home Care Blog

It's been an exciting summer for Alzheimer's research. 

The Alzheimer's Association has created an incredible new website to help caregivers track research developments.  A team of scientists developed a new brain scan that can detect the hallmark plaques of the disease. 

Now, here in Texas, a team of researchers has developed a blood test for Alzheimer's Disease. 

The Houston Chronicle interviewed the primary researcher on the project:

"If it's confirmed, this test will offer millions of geriatric patients across the country and the planet the opportunity at least to be screened annually," said Dr. Sid O'Bryant, a professor of neurology at Texas Tech Health Sciences Center and the primary investigator of the study, in Hawaii. "Then, if it's positive they can go to a specialist and get a proper workup and start treatment."

The test, which measures a mix of more than 100 blood proteins, accurately classified those participants who had the disease and those who didn't 95 percent of the time. Blood samples were taken from about 600 people, split between those with and without the disease.

Many research teams are pursuing such a diagnostic tool, but Baylor College of Medicine team member Dr. Rachelle Doody said the Texas research is the most comprehensive and furthest along. The Texas team will publish a paper on the study in an undisclosed journal this fall, only the second ever such journal publication involving an Alzheimer's blood test.

Doody stressed that the study still needs to be replicated.

The team has submitted a grant request to the National Institutes of Health that would not only attempt to replicate the results, but also assess its ability to distinguish different types of Alzheimer's and to predict people's risk of developing the disease.

More than 5 million Americans have the degenerative brain disease, according to the Alzheimer's Association, and experts predict the number will double over the next 15 years as baby boomers age.

Texas has 340,000 people with Alzheimer's or other forms of dementia, an amount projected to grow to at least half a million by 2025.

The study was the product of the Texas Alzheimer's Research Consortium, a Legislature-created collaboration comprised of Baylor, Texas Tech, the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, the UT Health Science Center at San Antonio and the University of North Texas Health Science Center in Fort Worth.

I'm so proud of the work we're doing here in Texas to fight Alzheimer's Disease.  We're among the first states to have a comprehensive State Plan for Alzheimer's Disease.  The Texas Alzheimer's Research Consortium is a shining example of how collaborating on the hardest problems can yield great results. 

We'll continue to keep you posted as these new Alzheimer's Disease diagnosis tests mature.  Until then, please continue to support the cause and continue to share your success stories with this community!

When did you begin to suspect your loved one might have a memory issue?

Twenty years ago, I started to suspect my grandma’s memory was slipping when she began retelling the same stories.  I know we're all a little guilty of repeating our favorite stories, but this was, well, different.

Was this a normal part of aging or something else?  

I didn't know it then, but my grandma had Alzheimer's Disease.

As I began to research how my grandma’s mind was changing, I was startled to discovery how difficult it was to find current, reliable information.  I knew there was research happening, but I didn’t know where to find it.  

To consolidate that information and make it accessible to busy caregivers, the Alzheimer’s Association has created a new website called the Alzheimer’s Association Research Center.  

The site acts as a filter, pulling in news and research and presenting it in a way that’s useful to the busy caregiver.  Here’s a little bit from the Association on how and why it developed the site:

"As I travel the country and talk to people whose families are affected by Alzheimer's disease, and as I read my daily e-mails, it is strikingly apparent that a wide range of people are genuinely interested in learning about what's happening in Alzheimer's science and when the next breakthroughs are going to come," said Angela Geiger, Chief Strategy Officer at the Alzheimer's Association. "The Alzheimer's Association is exploring innovative ways to advance research and also to engage and educate all kinds of people. This new website is an extension of this ever-expanding effort."

The innovative website seamlessly combines rich visuals with easy-to-understand content on a broad array of topics including:

• What Alzheimer's is, and how the disease progresses.
• Advances in treatments, diagnosis and prevention.
• How to volunteer for Alzheimer's clinical trials.
• Updates on key local, national and global research initiatives.

Important concepts about Alzheimer's the disease are explained and illustrated. Leading scientists are profiled. All of this and more is found at the "Research Center" in an easy-to-navigate presentation that enables users to quickly discover and connect with the information that matters most to them. Regular updates will include new information, interviews, graphics, and videos.

"Research is the most critical aspect of solving the Alzheimer crisis. This is why it is vital to have a place where people can go to find out about the latest Alzheimer research," Geiger said. "We listened to our constituents who said they wanted to know, learn and understand more. We hope this site serves as a catalyst for deeper understanding about Alzheimer research and a long-term dialogue with the public that encourages hope and engages them in the Alzheimer's cause."

Thanks to the Alzheimer's Association for creating this resource.  I know my family and our clients will use it often. 

We're all frightened of losing ourselves to Alzheimer's Disease.  Watching our mind slip away while our body still has vigor is a terrifying idea.  

Now, the disease has a new wrinkle that, if you can imagine, makes it even scarier.  

The $20,000,000,000,000 cost.  

While we struggle through the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression, we're forced to acknowledge that caring for our loved ones with Alzheimer's Disease will completely disrupt our economy.  

We knew this impending neurological epidemic was huge, but until this new study by the Alzheimer's Association, we didn't know it was thirteen-zeros-huge.  Click here to download the full report. 

What, exactly, does this mean?

• By the year 2050, 13.5 million people will have Alzheimer's Disease.  That's compared to roughly 5.1 million who have it today.  
• The annual costs of care would also increase from $172 billion to more than $1 trillion.
• Medicare costs will rise by more than 600% and Medicaid costs will soar to $178 billion, up from the current $34 billion. 

What can we do about it?

There is not a cure for Alzheimer's Disease.  Wonderful and worthwhile organizations like the Alzheimer's Association are working for a cure.  They focus on two avenues:

1. Delaying onset of the disease.  A lot of encouraging research shows that we can personally help prevent the disease.  Living a healthy life, exercising and eating a Mediterranean diet can all help.  A breakthrough that delayed the onset of Alzheimer's Disease would reduce the number of people with the disease.  Needless to say, we want this.  
2. Slowing the progression of the disease.  Living with the early stages of the disease is life changing, but can be bearable.  Bill Bridgwater showed us a few weeks ago that "Alzheimer's Disease is something people have, not who they are."  Slowing the progression of the disease would increase the number of people with Alzheimer's Disease, but would improve the life of everyone afflicted.  

Here at HealthBridge, our purpose is simple:  to help people care for each other.  We believe finding a cure for Alzheimer's Disease is consistent with our purpose.  

In a couple of weeks, we'll announce the details of our plan to support the search for a cure for Alzheimer's Disease.  Until then, would you send me your ideas?  Please leave a comment below or send me an email to matt (at) myhealthbridge dot com (spelled out to avoid the spam-bots).  

P.S:  The costs above don't include the unpaid care provided by family members and friends.  In 2009, that cost was estimated to be $144 billion.  Whoa.  

Bill Bridgwater doesn't look like he has Alzheimer's Disease. 

He's young - just 54 years old.  He's sharp too, shining with the the polish of his Fortune 500 pedigree.  He's not confused and he doesn't appear disoriented or forgetful.  

But, he does have Alzheimer's Disease.  He's had it since he was 48 years old. 

This MIT educated executive learned about his diagnosis at the height of his professional career.  Then, he did something totally different than most people who have early onset Alzheimer's Disease.  

He leaned in.

We all fear Alzheimer's.  We fear losing ourselves to a disease long before we die.  We fear how our friends and colleagues will judge us if they believe we've become "senile."  We fear the burden we will cause for our loved ones.

Maybe that's why we run away from Alzheimer's Disease.  

Bill didn't run. 

He was the first individual diagnosed with the disease to serve on the national board of directors of the Alzheimer's Association.  He's also become a nationally recognized advocate and speaker on Alzheimer's Disease.  

He spoke to a gathering of the Greater Dallas Chapter of the Alzheimer's Association last week.  As he shared his emotional journey with Alzheimer's Disease, he shared one point that has resonated with me ever since.  He said:

Alzheimer's Disease is something that I have, not who I am.

I will forever draw inspiration from those words.  As I watched my grandparents' minds slip away, it became hard to separate them from the disease.  But, it was something they had, not who they were.  

I've written a lot about what makes good caregivers great.  When it comes to Alzheimer's care, I think Bill's advice can sum it up.  

Great caregivers know that their clients have Alzheimer's Disease, but it's not who they are.  Great caregivers treat the disease, but care for the client by remembering who they are.