Amnesia

• In total, UnitedHealthcare is donating more than $11.1 million in grants through its Empowering Health program across 12 states.
• The grants will assist people experiencing challenges such as food access and nutrition, social isolation, and behavioral health issues, and support local health education efforts.
• “UnitedHealthcare is honored to support the important work these local organizations are doing to provide greater access to services for underserved communities in Minnesota,” said Brett Edelson, CEO, UnitedHealthcare of Minnesota.
• Identifying and addressing social determinants of health needs is a core aspect of how UnitedHealthcare serves its members.

• BELFAST, Northern Ireland and CAMBRIDGE, Mass., July 17, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Cumulus Neuroscience (Cumulus; The Company), a global digital health company focused on advancing neuroscience clinical trials and patient care through improved data, presented interim data from their real-world feasibility study CNS-101 at the Alzheimer's Association International Conference 2023 in Amsterdam, Netherlands.
• Purely digital markers are scalable but lack objectivity," said Brian Murphy, PhD, Founder and Chief Scientific Officer of Cumulus.
• Importantly, the remote data captured in this study was of similar quality to data generated using traditional methods in house at Boston University."
• Dr. Budson and his team receive funding and other resources from Bristol Myers Squibb and Cumulus Neuroscience.

• But around 3.9 million people worldwide aged 30-64 live with young-onset Alzheimer’s disease – a form of dementia in which symptoms appear before the age of 65.
• English journalist and broadcaster Fiona Phillips, 62, recently revealed that she’d been diagnosed with it.
• First, symptoms begin much earlier – as young as 30 in some rare cases, though it’s typically diagnosed between the ages of 50-64.
• Within the brain itself, young-onset Alzheimer’s disease causes similar chemical changes as those in late-onset Alzheimer’s.

Why it happens

• For example, poor levels of cardiovascular fitness and lower cognitive ability in early adulthood have been linked to an eight-fold increased risk of developing young-onset Alzheimer’s.
• One aspect experts are clear on is that genetics play a role in about one in ten cases of young-onset Alzheimer’s disease.
• Growing evidence suggests there may also be a link between traumatic brain injury and young-onset Alzheimer’s disease.

What can people do?

• But in the US, two therapies have been approved which may slow the progression of symptoms.
• However, these were only tested on people with late-onset Alzheimer’s disease, so it’s uncertain if they will have as distinct of an effect.
• An Italian study found that people who consumed high levels of vegetables, dry fruits and chocolate appeared to have lower risk.

• Dr. Liz Coulthard , Associate Professor in Dementia Neurology at the University of Bristol and neurologist at North Bristol National Health Service (NHS) Trust , is the project co-lead.
• Importantly, as a passive test, performance is not impacted by anxiety level, education level or language.
• They have also demonstrated that this response changes when a person develops dementia, offering hope for its potential as a breakthrough for earlier diagnosis.
• We are honored to partner with the Universities of Bath and Bristol on this important study."