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This week, Alzheimer's Disease International released the World Alzheimer Report 2014: Dementia and Risk Reduction assessment. We take a look at the key findings. http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/282759.php

In NY State News, New York Sues Actavis, Forest Labs Over Alzheimer’s Medicine. The CBS Evening News reported in its broadcast that New York sued Actavis and subsidiary Forest Labs, accusing the makers of the Alzheimer’s medicine Namenda (memantine HCI) of violating anti-trust laws by pursuing the strategy known as forced switch. CBS’ Dr. Jon Lapook said, Mike Hitch is 54, has early onset dementia, and takes the Alzheimer’s medication Namenda twice a day. The drug is due... to go generic next year. Before that product becomes available, Namenda is scheduled to be withdrawn from the market. But doctors are instead being asked to transition patients to Namenda XR, a once daily pill that has additional patent protection and is unlikely to go generic for years. The New York Times reports the lawsuit claims the move to force consumers to switch the medication is aimed at blunting competition from low-priced generic versions of the medication. Forest Laboratories disclosed in February that it would discontinue Namenda in favor of the new extended-release capsules. The lawsuit, filed in Federal District Court in Manhattan, says the step is an illegal attempt by Forest to maintain its monopoly even after its patent expires, the New York Times notes. The paper also notes that the tactic, called product hopping, is one of several ways brand-name drug manufacturers try to sidestep generic competition. Reuters . reports New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman as saying, Unfortunately, schemes to block competition, without considering the consequences to patients, are a growing trend in the health care industry. By standing up to Actavis, we’re sending a clear message to all pharmaceutical companies: Prioritizing profits over patients’ rights will not be tolerated. Coverage of the story is also provided by Bloomberg News.

Study Finds AB Blood Type May Increase Dementia Risk. HealthDay reports that a new study found that people with the AB blood type appear to have an increased risk for memory problems as they get older. According to the article, the study found that those with blood type AB were nearly twice as likely as those with type O to demonstrate memory problems over three years. The article notes that the findings, published Wednesday in the journal Neurology, aren’t necessarily s...urprising considering other recent research, which already displayed association between having AB blood and risk of blood-clotting and stroke. The study’s senior researcher, Dr. Mary Cushman of the University of Vermont College of Medicine, added that other health factors were also linked to increases in memory impairment. People who have AB blood type should not be overly worried about these findings since the association we saw was relatively small and requires other research for confirmation, said Cushman. BBC News quotes Cushman as saying, Blood type is also related to other vascular conditions like stroke, so the findings highlight the connections between vascular issues and brain health. More research is needed to confirm these results.

Alzheimer's research continues innovative tests. Researchers are now testing experimental Alzheimer’s medication on people with Down syndrome. NPR reported in its Shots blog that researchers at the University of California-San Diego used people with Down syndrome to study an experimental Alzheimer’s medication. According to Michael Rafii, director of the Memory Disorders Clinic at UCSD, people with Down syndrome represent the world’s largest population of individuals pred...isposed to getting Alzheimer’s disease. ... By the age of 40, 100 percent of all individuals with Down syndrome have the pathology of Alzheimer’s in their brain. William Mobley, chairman of the neuroscience department at UCSD, said that the discovery of a drug that prevents Alzheimer’s in people with Down syndrome could help millions of people who don’t have the disorder. See more

There is a need to educate the public about long term care. Maybe the way to go is via employers. What do you think? From an employer's perspective, senior care is becoming as big of an employee need and obligation as child care. For more information on long term care for a loved one, please contact Sentosa Care.