US wants effective Alzheimer's treatment by 2025

[dipsydoodle]

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The government is setting what it calls an ambitious goal for Alzheimer's disease: Development of effective ways to treat and prevent the mind-destroying illness by 2025.

The Obama administration is developing the first National Alzheimer's Plan to find better treatments for the disease and offer better day-to-day care for those afflicted.

A newly released draft of the overall goals sets the 2025 deadline, but doesn't provide details of how to fund the necessary research to meet that target date. Today's treatments only temporarily ease some dementia symptoms, and work to find better ones has been frustratingly slow.

A committee of Alzheimer's experts begins a two-day meeting Tuesday to help advise the government on how to finalize the plan.

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_MED_ALZHEIMERS_PLAN?SITE=WWL&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

[Igel]

1. Sure.

Some of the stuff they could do, with enough money, tomorrow. Train caregivers. Public awareness messages.

Not the problem.

The problem's the science, and politicians have long meddled in science. It's hard to dictate the timeline for scientific advances, but scientists *love* the dictates. Why? Because with the dictates comes money, and the more radical the timeline the more radical the budgets.

Then, when it proves impossible, well, they'll have made significant advances. The solution might be just around the corner. Cutting established budget floors is a difficult process, esp. when the claim can be made that it'll hurt grandma and grandpa. "Group X wants to cut spending that has a 5% chance, more than 10 years after her death, help ameliorate the symptoms by 3%" becomes "Group X wants to kill your dear, sweet grandma because they're mean and vicious. Vote for me!"

[greiner3]

2. I'll be 69 by then.

Imagine how much the medical costs to Medicare will be in the decade and a half til then because of the onset of senility and in particular Alzheimer. 25 million Americans will be drooling and crapping their drawers, 4 times that number now.

I think this one problem will bankrupt the country if Obama's call does not occur.

[area51]

3. Bankrupting the country

Simply continuing on with the for-profit, serial killer insurance agency gatekeepers is bankrupting the country. The beginning of the fix is single-payer health care. And how about training the able-bodied unemployed to be care givers for the elderly and disabled? Instant employment. I'm not saying this will solve every problem, but it's a start.

http://www.pnhp.org/facts/singlepayer_faq.php

[greymattermom]

4. a little walking goes a long way

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/01/18/how-exercise-may-keep-alzheimers-at-bay/?ref=health