Biden administration focuses on Alzheimer’s risk factors

Biden administration focuses on Alzheimer’s risk factors

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The Biden administration pledged on Monday to expedite research on risk factors for Alzheimer’s disease and related dementia.

The announcement is part of the Ministry of Health and Human Services’ annual update of its national plan to tackle Alzheimer’s disease, which for the first time includes a new goal that focuses on promoting healthy aging and reducing the risk and Related dementia.

Ministry of Health and Human Services Acknowledge in the press release These diseases cannot be prevented, but they say that there is growing evidence that addressing risk factors such as high blood pressure, lack of physical activity, and chronic diseases may reduce the chance of developing dementia.

An estimated 6 million Americans suffer from Alzheimer’s disease and related forms of dementia, and this number is expected to more than double by 2060. HHS stated that family members and friends provide most of the care for people with dementia, which has a particularly serious impact on blacks and Latino Americans.

“Everyone should have the opportunity to take care of those they love,” HHS Minister Xavier Becerra said in a statement. “I am grateful that I can be with my family, but not everyone is so lucky. We must make this easier.”

In addition to accelerating research on risk factors, HHS also plans to strengthen the necessary infrastructure to translate these findings into interventions to reduce the burden of risk factors, with special emphasis on health promotion activities.

The National Alzheimer’s Disease Project Act, signed into law in 2011, obliges the Minister of HHS to update the plan annually based on the opinions of HHS and other federal agencies.

Dr. Walter Koroshetz, director of the National Institute of Neurological Diseases and Stroke of the National Institutes of Health, said in a statement that many age-related processes collectively lead to cognitive impairment and dementia. There is evidence that the wear and tear of blood vessels in the brain caused by high blood pressure can lead to the loss of brain function with age.

“The good news is that blood pressure can be controlled, and active blood pressure control can greatly reduce a person’s risk of cognitive impairment and dementia,” Koroshetz said. “We are excited about the new goal of using our existing knowledge to make changes.”

The advocacy group UsAgainstAlzheimer’s stated that it supports the addition of new goals, putting prevention first, and called HHS’s actions a “great victory and a big step forward.”

“For a long time, too many people have mistakenly believed that cognitive decline is an inevitable part of aging. This new goal should stimulate new consciousness and actions to promote brain health,” George Vradenburg, co-founder and chairman of UsAgainstAlzheimer, Said in a statement.

UsAgainstAlzheimer’s stated that this is the first major move by the Biden administration to fulfill its promise to cure Alzheimer’s disease. The organization stated that since Biogen has agreed to halve the price of its controversial Alzheimer’s drug Aduhelm, the next step for Medicare and Medicaid Services will be to “reverse its historic Medicare Part B premium growth. “.

CMS in November Attributable to 15% growth In Part B, the potential cost premium of Aduhelm. Patient advocates now believe that the increase in premiums should be reduced. Although it is reported that CMS did not change the premium after the fact, The source told Hyundai Medical The agency can do this.

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