“The drug carries a warning about temporary brain swelling that can sometimes cause headaches, confusion and dizziness. Other side effects included allergic reactions, diarrhea and disorientation.”

Photo source: Pixabay

by Matthew Perrone

WASHINGTON (AP) — “Government health officials on Monday approved the first new drug for Alzheimer’s disease in nearly 20 years, disregarding warnings from independent advisers that the much-debated treatment hasn’t been shown to help slow the brain-destroying disease.

“The Food and Drug Administration approved the drug from Biogen based on study results showing it seemed ‘reasonably likely’ to benefit Alzheimer’s patients. It’s the only therapy that U.S. regulators have said can likely treat the underlying disease, rather than manage symptoms like anxiety and insomnia.

“The decision, which could impact millions of Americans and their families, is certain to spark disagreements among physicians, medical researchers and patient groups. It also has far-reaching implications for the standards used to evaluate experimental therapies, including those that show only incremental benefits.

“The new drug, which Biogen developed with Japan’s Eisai Co., did not reverse mental decline, only slowing it in one study. The medication, aducanumab, will be marketed as Aduhelm and is to be given as an infusion every four weeks.

“Dr. Caleb Alexander, an FDA adviser who recommended against the drug’s approval, said he was ‘surprised and disappointed’ by the decision.

“”The FDA gets the respect that it does because it has regulatory standards that are based on firm evidence. In this case, I think they gave the product a pass,’ said Alexander, a medical researcher at Johns Hopkins University.”

Read this article at the Associated Press in its entirety, click here.

“How to spot early indicators that your loved one may have Alzheimer’s or dementia.”

ISTOCK/GETTY IMAGES

by Patrick J. Kiger

“From age 50 on, it’s not unusual to have occasional trouble finding the right word or remembering where you put things.

“But persistent difficulty with memory, cognition and ability to perform everyday tasks might be signs that something more serious is happening to a loved one’s brain.

“Dementia isn’t actually a disease, according to the Mayo Clinic. It’s a catch-all term for changes in the brain that cause a loss of functioning that interferes with daily life. Dementia can diminish focus, the ability to pay attention, language skills, problem-solving and visual perception. It also can make it difficult for a person to control his or her emotions and lead to personality changes.

“More than 6 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s dementia, according to a 2021 report by the Alzheimer’s Association. Alzheimer’s disease is the leading cause of dementia, accounting for 60 percent to 70 percent of cases, but a range of brain illnesses can lead to the condition (see sidebar, ‘Diseases that cause dementia’).”

Click here to read this article at AARP in its entirety.

“For four years, the legendary singer and his family have kept his secret. Now, they’re breaking their silence”

(Larry Busacca/Getty Images)

by John Colapinto

“Part One: “It’s Just Another Gift”

“On an afternoon in early November, I arrived at Tony Bennett’s home on the 15th floor of a high-rise on the southern edge of New York City’s Central Park. The sprawling three-bedroom apartment’s wall of windows opens on a heart-stopping view of the park and floods the rooms with a steady north light — “a painter’s dream,” as Bennett once said — which matters, because as well as being one of the world’s greatest singers, he is also a serious visual artist. Over the last quarter century, he has spent untold hours in this sanctuary, a converted bedroom turned art studio where I was brought to meet him by his wife, Susan. This was clearly the space of a working artist: the walls papered with sketches, a messy table heaped with brushes and curled paint tubes, an easel by the window holding a work in progress — a black-and-white drawing of the park, the distant buildings expertly evoked with impressionistic flicks of charcoal.

“Bennett himself was seated at a desk along one wall, his chair turned toward the windows as he paged slowly through a coffee-table book open on his lap. Nattily dressed in a blue blazer over an open-collared shirt, dark slacks and white running shoes, he was, at 94, startlingly youthful in appearance and instantly recognizable: the blue, heavy-lidded eyes, the iconic Roman nose, the coiffed salt-and-pepper hair. Missing, however, was the easy, ever-present smile that helped brand him the nice-guy singing idol of his generation — more approachable than the volatile Sinatra, or the jokily “drunken” Dean Martin. Instead, his expression had a masklike impassivity that changed only slightly to dim awareness when Susan, a slim, fine-featured 54-year-old, placed a hand on his shoulder, leaned over and said: “This is John, Tone. He’s come to talk to us about the new album.” She spoke into his ear, a little loudly perhaps, in a prompting, emphatic register, as if trying to reach her husband through a barrier that had fallen between him and the rest of the world.

“Indeed she was. He looked expressionlessly into my eyes before returning wordlessly to his book.

“Tony Bennett has Alzheimer’s disease, the most common form of age-related dementia.”

“Alzheimer’s is a disease that has impacted soooooo many families and this unvarnished look at the way the legendary singer and his family are confronting the disease is refreshingly revealing. The Bennett family and AARP want to help people who might be struggling with the day-to-day challenges of the disease — and part of that help comes from encouraging people to talk about their shared experiences.

“Carve out some time in your day to read this long piece from start to finish. You’ll be glad you did.” (SOURCE: While You Were Working Smart Brief)