Voters for the American Express Members Project recently chose the Alzheimer’s Disease: Early Detection Matters campaign as the project they would most like to see funded. Close to 90,000 card members cast a vote—choosing from more than 1,000 potential projects. In the end, the winner was a campaign that will educate people about the importance of early diagnosis of Alzheimer’s—receiving $1.5 million in funding.
Chronic Disease and Depression
Two studies have been published recently that talk about depression—but not as a stand-alone diagnosis. They discuss both heart disease and diabetes and the high comorbidity of depression.
Misconceptions about aortic stenosis can be deadly. About 4% of older Americans have been diagnosed with aortic stenosis, and in a recent Alliance survey, relatively few general practice physicians reported feeling confident when diagnosing and recommending treatment for the disease. Most general practitioners and geriatricians choose to refer their patients to a cardiologist instead of diagnosing or treating patients themselves.
Standing up to Cancer
A couple weeks ago, NBC, ABC, and CBS aired a special entitled Stand Up To Cancer. Stand Up To Cancer is a charitable services fund of the Entertainment Industry Foundation, and its purpose is to raise funds for what the campaign founders call “dream teams” of interdisciplinary and multi-institutional researchers. The founders believe that the scientific knowledge to beat cancer is there, but funding is preventing advancement from occurring.
