Support the Alzheimer's Memory Walk

The Alzheimer's Memory Walk is coming up next Saturday, September 8. It will be my sixth year walking and my fifth year on the Louisville organizing committee. I am a strong supporter of the Alzheimer's Association. If you've read my last few blogs, you understand the need to find a cure for Alzheimer's disease and provide help its victims and caregivers.

The Louisville Memory Walk provides funds for local services to affected individuals and their families. It is our biggest fundraiser of the year.

I need your help! Please sponsor me for the Memory Walk by making a tax-deductible contribution to the Alzheimer's Association. Any size contribution will be greatly appreciated and will help in the fight against Alzheimer's disease.

You may contribute in several ways:

• Send a check payable to the Alzheimer's Association to:
  AM Warner Insurance, Inc.
  4707 Miles Lane, Suite B
  Louisville, KY 40219
• Donate online at http://07louisvillememorywalk.kintera.org/. Click on sponsor participant and enter my name: Allison Warner. You can use a credit card or fill out an online check.

I invite you to join me for this year's Memory Walk on Saturday, September 8. You'll find full details on our website. It's always a pleasant, sunny day and the walk is an easy 1.3 miles. Meet me on the great lawn at Waterfront Park. Registration starts at 8:30 a.m. Together, we can make a difference.

Thank you for your support, Allison Warner

Training Can Help Alzheimer's Caregivers

Simple training can significantly ease the burden for caregivers of Alzheimer's patients and help keep those patients out of nursing homes for an additional 1 1/2 years. The problem is most caregivers don't have the time to take the training.

More than 5 million Americans live with Alzheimer's disease. One in eight people 65 and older are afflicted, one in two of those older than 85. By 2050, 16 million American's are projected to have the degenerative disease.

"I don't think society and policymakers have fully grasped the future magnitude of what we're up against," said Dr. Richard Suzman of the National Institute on Aging.

Senator Barbara Mikulski (D-Maryland) has introduced legislation that would give families a $3,000 federal income tax credit to offset some of the expenses and lost income of caring for a family member with Alzheimer's. Actual costs run from about $7,400 a year for moderate dementia to $17,700 for severe dementia.

At New York University's School of Medicine, 406 elderly people caring for a spouse with Alzheimer's were studied. Half received special training tailored to their family's particular needs. The other half received the standard Alzheimer's support: a list of Alzheimer's resources. Tracking the families for 17 years, study director Mary Mittleman found that trained caregivers were able to keep their loved ones out of a nursing home for an average of 1 1/2 years longer than those who received no training. With annual nursing home costs averaging $60,000, that's a family savings of $90,000 or more.

New Hope for Alzheimer's Patients

New research suggests that Alzheimer's Disease may be reversible if discovered and treated in an early enough stage. A new theory is emerging from multiple research laboratories around the world that refines the beta-amyloid theory that has dominated Alzheimer's research since the 1980s.

If the new theory proves correct, immunotherapy and antibody targeting of beta-amyloid proteins in the early stages of the disease could stop Alzheimer's in its tracks. It is hoped that the new theory will lead to the development of drug protocols that will alter and even arrest the disease process, not merely treat its symptoms. Alzheimer's Disease affects 5.1 million Americans, a figure that is projected to reach 7.7 million by 2030.

The new theory is based on recent findings on the behavior and nature of oligomers. Oligomers are early-stage beta-amyloid proteins. Research indicates that oligomers prevent people from forming new memories.

"It's like a hormone from the dark side that blocks the biochemistry of memory," explains William Klein, professor of neurobiology and physiology at Northwestern University's Cognitive Neurology and Alzheimer's Disease Center.

For years researchers thought that oligomers caused brain cells to die. New research seems to indicate that it is the oligomers themselves that are toxic. In the past month researchers have discovered naturally occurring antibodies in human blood that selectively target oligomers. This suggests that Alzheimer's may be an immune deficiency disorder and that it may be possible to defend the body against Alzheimer's and other neurodegenerative disorders that cause dementia.

Recognize the Warning Signs of Alzheimer's Disease

Alzheimer's disease is a common and serious brain disease that affects more than 5 million Americans. Forgetfulness is often the first sign. Over time the disease progresses, affecting the ability to communicate, learn, think and reason. Perhaps the most heartbreaking aspect of Alzheimer's is when patients fail to recognize or remember their family and friends.

These are the 10 warning signs of Alzheimer's:

• Memory loss
• Difficulty performing familiar tasks
• Language problems
• Disorientation
• Poor or decreased judgment
• Problems with abstract thinking
• Misplacing things
• Changes in mood or behavior
• Personality changes
• Loss of initiative

For more information on Alzheimer's Disease, click here to visit the Alzheimer's Association website.

New Super Berry Found in Amazon Jungle

There's a new berry in town. With more antioxidants than red wine, blueberries and even pomegranates, the acai berry is this summer's new super food. The purple acai (pronounced ah-sigh-ee) is grown in the Amazon where it soaks up powerful amounts of healthy omega fatty acids, amino acids, and vitamins A, C and E.

You can find acai berries in Sambazon organic smoothies ($2.50 at Whole Foods), Bossa Nova juices ($2.99 at Whole Foods and Safeway) and Naked Juice's Purple Machine smoothie ($2.99-$3.99 at most food stores). Haagen-Dazs is coming out with a Brazilian Acai Berry Sorbet, and Anheuser Busch is adding it to their new 180 Blue energy drink.