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CNBC: When drug giant Pfizer announced earlier this year it was exiting the neuroscience business, including the search for a drug to treat Alzheimer's, doctors involved in the race to find a cure were caught off guard. "I was surprised, because I knew they had interesting compounds in the pipeline," said Dr. Jeff Cummings, director of the Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health in Las Vegas. For Cummings, though, it was ultimately just one more addition to a long record he has maintained, documenting the failure of Alzheimer's treatments. "It is another statement that development of drugs, particularly for neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, has proven to be enormously difficult." READ MORE
Medical News Today: New research reveals that a polygenic risk score for Alzheimer's disease can correctly identify adults who have mild cognitive impairment while they are in their 50s. The researchers hope that their results will help to identify those at risk of Alzheimer's disease long before symptoms emerge, and thereby further efforts to better treat or slow its progression. READ MORE
Medscape: Genetic risk for Alzheimer's disease may be related to brain function and hippocampal volume in childhood, suggesting a neurodevelopmental origin of the disease, new research suggests. "We found that the genetic risk for Alzheimer's disease is associated with lower performance in memory tasks even decades before the onset of the disease," Giovanni Salum, MD, PhD, from Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil, told Medscape Medical News. The possibility of a neurodevelopmental origin opens opportunities for research on Alzheimer's disease prevention, risk detection, and pathogenesis, he noted. READ MORE
Forbes: I don’t have Alzheimer’s, at least not yet, but when I do, will you still read what I have to say? I ask you this because someday a lot of us might have Alzheimer’s disease. A recent report estimates as many as 47 million Americans. Don’t panic. The Alzheimer’s these millions have isn’t what you think about when you hear the words “Alzheimer’s disease.” These 47 million have a very different form of the disease. The definition of Alzheimer’s disease is undergoing a revolution. When this new definition becomes standard of care, the people my colleagues and I diagnose with the disease will undergo a revolution as well. READ MORE
EliteDaily: St. Patrick's Day is just around the corner, and if you're not already excited, you should be. Regardless of whether you're Irish or not, this is a holiday everyone looks forward to all year long. Between pitchers of green beer, shamrocks dazzling street corners, leprechauns making mischief in our lives, and extraordinary parades full of debauchery, what's not to love? While this holiday has its historical roots in Irish Catholicism, I think most of us can agree that luck is in the air on St. Patrick's Day. You rummage through your closet to find some green articles of clothing, round up your best buds, and hit up the most Irish bar in your neighborhood. Memories are made, trips to the Emerald Isle are planned, and everything just feels a whole lot more magical. READ MORE