Clinton to call for Alzheimer's cure, increase spending to $2 billion annually

[riversedge]

Source: usatoday.com

Clinton to call for Alzheimer's cure, increase spending to $2 billion annually

Heidi M Przybyla, USA TODAY 12:06 a.m. EST December 22, 2015
Clinton to elevate disease hitting women and minorities hard

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2015/12/22/hillar-clinton-alzheimers-election-2016-cure/77704834/


(Photo: AP)


As U.S. deaths from Alzheimer’s are exploding, Hillary Clinton wants to make curing the disease a major issue for the women and minority voters who are at a disproportionate risk of developing it.

In her last campaign speech Tuesday before the Christmas holiday, Clinton plans to call for a dramatic increase in federal spending to find a cure for the only cause of death ranked in America’s top 10 that cannot be cured, prevented or even slowed, the campaign told USA TODAY. The Democratic front-runner will propose spending $2 billion a year in an attempt to cure the degenerative brain disease by 2025, according to a campaign official who was not authorized to speak publicly ahead of the announcement.

It’s the first time a presidential candidate has made Alzheimer’s a major campaign issue, said Robert Egge, executive director of the Alzheimer’s Impact Movement, whose advocates are leaning on all 2016 campaigns to take up the issue. None of them has offered specific plans. Clinton's proposal “makes this a national conversation,” he said..........................


.....Researchers have two main theories as to why women are more susceptible than men to the disease. One is that menopause leads to energy deficits in the brain, Tanzi said. The other, which he gives more credence, is that women are more susceptible to brain inflammation than men, which is also probably why women suffer more from other brain diseases like multiple sclerosis, he said.

Some markers for Alzheimer's can be detected 20 years before symptoms arise, said Tanzi. Yet there's no way to treat it. “It’s an issue people have swept under the rug,” he said. “We’re just starting to wake up.”

Read more: http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2015/12/22/hillar-clinton-alzheimers-election-2016-cure/77704834/

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A few tweets:

Hillary Clinton Retweeted
Andrew Whitley ?@AndrewWhitleyVA 4h4 hours ago

From the bottom of my heart, thank you @HillaryClinton for taking the fight to Alzheimers! Couldn't be prouder to be a part of your team.
135 retweets 402 likes
Hillary Clinton ?@HillaryClinton 5h5 hours ago

We can prevent, effectively treat, and make a cure possible for Alzheimer’s by 2025. -H
702 retweets 1,899 likes

[JackInGreen]

1. Maybe if she could get past her canna-bias...

I won't hold my breath though....http://www.alzheimers.net/6-15-15-effects-of-medical-marijuana-on-alzheimers/

[Scuba]

2. ^^ This right here ^^

[pangaia]

5. Right. How many 78 year-olds toke.

VS how many 28 year-olds have alzheimers?

Maybe if 28 year olds start toking a little...

But is she were after the 28 year-olds..,,then....

But here is she after the 78 year-olds??

Wait, she may actually have beaten Bernie to the punch on this one. Has Bernie called for a cure to alzheimers yet?


Wait. Wait. What I just wrote is not what I really want to say.. But I can not figure out how to say it. But I think you know what I mean.

[hollowdweller]

14. I don't know any 78 year old smokers but plenty of 75 year old ones.

[pangaia]

21. Oh. Hum...

Well if they keep on tokin' soon they will be 78.

[Shimmershine]

13. You are misinformed. Clinton wants more research on medical marihuana

She wants to loosen restrictions on its research.

" "The problem with medical marijuana is there is a lot of anecdotal evidence about how well it works for certain conditions. But we haven't done any research. Why? Because it is considered that is called a schedule one drug and you can't even do research in it."

She added, "I would like to move it from what is called Schedule 1 to Schedule 2 so that researchers at universities, national institutes of health can start researching what is the best way to use it, how much of a dose does somebody need, how does it interact with other medications."

http://www.cnn.com/2015/11/07/politics/hillary-clinton-marijuana/

[jmowreader]

22. Methadone is also in Schedule II, as is Ritalin

You can do a lot with a Schedule II classification.

[A Simple Game]

3. How does she think we can afford this? Does she think we are all made of money?

Why does she keep promoting these unsustainable increases in expenditures? Who's taxes will have to go up because of this foolish idea?

[greymattermom]

4. The cost of caring for Alzheimer's patients is huge

Last edited Tue Dec 22, 2015, 03:06 PM - Edit history (1)

Any treatment that even delays or slows the course of the disease will save a huge amount. It is already known that moderate exercise can slow the course of Alzheimer's disease.

[A Simple Game]

8. But Hillary says we can't afford Bernie's single payer plan which although reducing

healthcare costs by 5 trillion dollars over 10 years will raise middle class taxes. How much net savings will every person have if health care costs 5 trillion dollars less, or how many diseases could we cure or ease with 5 trillion extra dollars?

Some Hillary supporters are also worried about insurance company executives losing their jobs. Some are worried that if we get single payer the next Republican President will just get rid of it so why bother. It's all so complicated, what to do?

So where is this mysterious tax free 2 billion dollars Hillary is going to come up with coming from?

In case it isn't obvious by now I'm not belittling the tragedy of Alzheimer's disease, my mother died from it, I am pointing out Hillary's obvious dual standards, one for her piece meal plans and another for Bernie's more comprehensive plan.

[hollowdweller]

15. My Sarcastic Thought Also

But if they could find a cure spending the money up front would save medicare a LOT.

[A Simple Game]

35. A truly worthwhile endeavor but I doubt Hillary is serious. I was just pointing out the hypocrisy

of saying we couldn't afford Bernie's single payer plan which would overall save everyone money and then saying she would spend money and not say how to pay for it.

[mucifer]

27. We can always find money for war and the military. We can find money for this

[A Simple Game]

33. And maybe if we found enough money for things like this we couldn't afford wars anymore. n/t

[onehandle]

34. This is a Democratic Party forum. nt

[Cha]

6. Good on Hillary, thank you, rivers.

[question everything]

7. Be careful about "cure."

From Nixon to Biden politicians called for cure for cancer and we are still struggling.

But you should commit for more funding. When one compares the amount dedicated to the number of sick - Alzheimer's is way in the bottom. Way down - don't jump on me - for AIDS which can be prevented.

[greymattermom]

9. It is possible that Alzheimer's can be prevented.

We really need more research. Inflammation plays a big role in the disease. Diet and lifestyle changes can reduce inflammation. FYI I'm a scientist with expertise on inflammation in the aging brain.

[Beaverhausen]

12. I've heard aluminum is thought to be a cause

Do you have any thoughts on that?

[riversedge]

10. We can prevent, effectively treat, and make a cure possible for Alzheimer’s by 2025. -H

A few tweets:

Hillary Clinton Retweeted
Andrew Whitley ?@AndrewWhitleyVA 4h4 hours ago

From the bottom of my heart, thank you @HillaryClinton for taking the fight to Alzheimers! Couldn't be prouder to be a part of your team.
135 retweets 402 likes
Hillary Clinton ?@HillaryClinton 5h5 hours ago

We can prevent, effectively treat, and make a cure possible for Alzheimer’s by 2025. -H
702 retweets 1,899 likes

[riversedge]

11. Today, @HillaryClinton unveiled her plan to combat #Alzheimer's. Read it here

I see she is tying it in with the burdens of caregivers


Today, @HillaryClinton unveiled her plan to combat #Alzheimer's. Read it here:
https://www.hillaryclinton.com/briefing/factsheets/2015/12/22/an-end-to-alzheimers-disease/ …



Factsheets
An End to Alzheimer’s Disease

Hillary Clinton’s Plan to Prevent, Effectively Treat and Make a Cure Possible by 2025

The signature piece of Hillary Clinton’s commitment to target and defeat the diseases of our day is a groundbreaking investment in research to prevent, effectively treat and make possible a cure to Alzheimer’s disease by 2025. She also outlined new measures to support family caregivers and improve caregiving for individuals living with Alzheimer’s, building on the robust caregiving agenda she announced last month. Her proposals, informed by experts in the scientific and caregiving communities, will enable our country to make a cure possible and provide needed relief to millions of Alzheimer’s patients and their families.

Background on Alzheimer’s in the United States

Alzheimer’s is the most common form of dementia, primarily impacting older Americans, but also taking a toll on younger Americans who suffer from early-onset Alzheimer’s. As brain cells degenerate, memories and mental function are lost and lives are cut short.

More than five million Americans suffer from Alzheimer’s. With the median age of the American population rising, the overall number of people suffering from Alzheimer’s is expected to grow nearly threefold to nearly 15 million Americans by 2050.

Alzheimer’s is the 6th leading cause of death in the United States and is the only cause in the top ten for which we lack the ability to prevent, cure or even slow it. The FDA has not approved a new compound to treat the disease in more than a decade.

In addition, the disease takes a toll on the millions of family members who care for them, too many of whom have to choose between their work and their caregiving and too many suffer an impact on their emotional and physical health as a result of their responsibilities.............more........

[Matthew28]

17. This is what I want my next president to do!!!

Invest in science
Invest in education
Work to cure diseases

Sounds a hell of a lot more useful then talking about the isis all day long and threatening muslims.

[riversedge]

23. Yes. we need an investment in medical science.

[Matthew28]

16. Great ideas Mrs Clinton!!!

By curing diseases = far less pain and far less economic cost in the long term. Nothing helps drive the cost down for our economy and grow it then science!!!

Go Hillary!!!!

[fbc]

18. I am currently caring for someone with Alzheimer's

I prefer that she doesn't use Alzheimer's victims and their caregivers as prop for her election.

[Matthew28]

19. Why not?

Science has cured most of the former deadly diseases like Polio, Yellow fever, etc. I don't see why she can't run as the science president that seeks to help do the same for other diseases like Alzheimers...

Or would you rather she whine about the isis all day long?

[fbc]

20. Because the things she says have no real meaning

She will use Alzheimer's suffers and their families as props, but why should we believe anything she has to say?

Allow me to refer you to the video in this post: http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1280&pid=88560

Hillary Clinton says whatever her consultants think is a good thing to say at that moment. There is no substance behind it.

[riversedge]

24. Being a cynic will not help your loved ones nor anyone else. I also

know and care for a woman with this horrible disease. I want no one else to go thru what my family is going through--just watching her slowly not be the vibrant person she once was. If Sanders --or even the Republicans (I hold no hope out for any of them at this moment) say they will invest in a medical cure--or prevention, then I say it is good for all of America.

[Bonobo]

25. People don't die FROM Alzheimer's. They die WITH Alzheimer's. nt

[mucifer]

28. They often die of infections or sometimes dehydration which is the natural process.

If the person is refusing or unable to swallow it is the disease that is causing the death. Many people don't want feeding tubes.

They often die from aspiration pneumonias or urinary tract infections.

I look at it as the Alzheimer's that causes death. These infections would be treated if there would be quality of life.

People who die at home with cancer in hospice often have infections that aren't treated because there is such poor quality of life there isn't much point to treat the infection and treating the infection would often mean hospitalization if the person doesn't swallow oral medications. I still think of it as dying from cancer, not dying from a urinary tract infection. It is of course the pt's and family's right to go to the hospital to have infections treated if they want to.

I am a hospice nurse so I see these things all the time.

[Bonobo]

29. I understand what you are saying.

And bless you from the very bottom of my heart for your work. I don't understand how you do it, but I will forever hold those in your profession with the most sincere gratitude and respect.

[moonscape]

30. Actually they do ...

As the tangles in the brain increase, and the connections deteriorate, an Alzheimer sufferer forgets how to eat, how to chew, how to swallow - all sorts of processes break down.

Along the way, many other things can result in death due to the Alzheimer's before the final end stage, but many definitely die from it.

Fortunately, my mom had a stroke before the final stage and was spared the final stage. It was a sad blessing.

[Iliyah]

26. This, K & R

[harun]

31. Good on Clinton but should be raised to 20 billion

[Omaha Steve]

32. Click here free every day to help

http://thebreastcancersite.greatergood.com/clickToGive/alz/home?

[Matthew28]

36. This makes me excited about Clinton

We should spend a lot more on science! Imagine the kind of cures we could have that would extend the quality of life.

[riversedge]

37. Woman at Iowa town hall tells HRC she lost her husband in May to dementia. He was 53. We must find a

Hilary hears real stories during her Town Hall visits. Yes. we MUST invest in science


Hillary for Iowa Retweeted
Ian Sams ?@IanSams Dec 22

Woman at Iowa town hall tells HRC she lost her husband in May to dementia. He was 53. We must find a cure http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2015/12/22/hillar-clinton-alzheimers-election-2016-cure/77704834/ … #ImWithHer