Diverse Approaches to Alzheimer's Therapies Continue to Show Progress at ICAD

clipped from alzheimersreadingroom.blogspot.com A lot of good and encouraging news continues to come out of this week's Alzheimer's Association International Conference on Alzheimer's Disease 2008. --18-Month Data from an Extension of a Pivotal Trial of Dimebon in Alzheimer's --First U.S. Double-Blind Phase II Clinical Trial of IVIg (Immunotherapy) in Alzheimer's --Phase II Immunotherapy Trial with LY2062430 in Mild to Moderate Alzheimer's --Antidementia Drugs Contribute to Longer Life in People with Alzheimer's Read More......

New Research Shows That People With Better Physical Fitness Have Less Brain Atrophy in Alzheimer's

I have been writing about Alzheimer's and exercise on the Alzheimer's Reading Room blog for years. I believe that exercise is a key component in fighting off the devastating effects of Alzheimer's on my mother--now 92 years old.

Exercising in a gym also gives my mother an added boost by keeping her socialized. Most days my mother goes kicking and screaming to the gym. On the way out she has a smile on her face, better balance while walking, and I feel like we are fighting the good fight.

I should mention that I am also getting some obvious benefits. If you are predisposed to Alzheimer's by birth you really need to incorporate Alzheimer's into your daily return.

clipped from www.alz.org People with early Alzheimer’s disease who had better fitness ratings had less atrophy in key brain areas associated with memory, according to research reported today at the 2008 Alzheimer's Association International Conference on Alzheimer’s Disease (ICAD 2008) in Chicago. This is the first time that MRI brain imaging has been used to demonstrate the connection between cardiorespiratory fitness and Alzheimer’s-related brain changes in the hippocampus, an area of the brain important for memory and spatial navigation. In Alzheimer's, the hippocampus is one of the first regions of the brain to suffer damage. "We found that, in early-stage Alzheimer’s, cardiorespiratory fitness is correlated with regional brain volumes in key areas affected by the disease," said Honea. "This suggests that maintaining cardiorespiratory fitness may positively modify Alzheimer’s-related brain atrophy."

Secondary Sources: Myths, Infrastructure Stimulus, Modest Proposal

clipped from blogs.wsj.com Cherished Myths: Paul De Grauwe of the Financial Times looks at how the current financial crisis has exploded some cherished myths. Infrastructure Stimulus: On his Economist’s View blog, Mark Thoma extends a debate over using stimulus for infrastructure spending. Modest Proposal: The Macro Man blog presents a modest proposal for fixing the U.S. financial crisis: sell off the states to foreign governments.

Solar Subsidies: Is Less More?

clipped from blogs.wsj.com The U.S. renewable-energy industry says letting the current clean-energy tax credits lapse will cripple the industry and kill hundreds of thousands of jobs. Even foreign clean-tech types like Vestas, the big Danish wind turbine maker, bemoan America’s short-term approach. Al Gore’s call for an “energy revolution” would require big and lasting support for clean energy that isn’t there yet. But guess what? While Europe’s flirtation with smaller solar-power subsidies is spooking the sector, the impending demise of subsidies for solar power in the U.S. is driving a last-minute stampede. The subsidies’ renewal is still on Congress’ wish list after several failed shots at renewal.

The New Financial Rally — Is It Real?

I caught this at MarketBeat. Gives a sense of what is going on out there. Read more by following the link.

clipped from blogs.wsj.com The catalyst in Wednesday’s action appears to be word that President Bush will sign Congress’s housing bill, which solidifies support for the mortgage guarantors that, though, other major banks are gaining ground, including Wachovia Corp., which is up 6.2% after a 29% gain Tuesday on the back of a quarterly report which detailed major losses at the Charlotte-based firm. The banking stocks have put together a nice rally. In context, it seems mild. The Philadelphia Stock Exchange/KBW Bank Index was lately up 1% and has gained 41% in six sessions. The Securities and Exchange Commission’s decision to crack down on “naked” short-selling has contributed to the improvement, as have better-than-expected-but-still-sorta-lousy earnings from banks includingCitigroup Inc., Wachovia and Washington Mutual Inc.

Obama's paid staff dwarfing McCain's

clipped from www.boston.com Behind the headlines about the unprecedented success of Democrat Barack Obama's fund-raising machine lies a more prosaic truth - his campaign will need every penny of its $300 million goal to bankroll an unprecedented 50-state general election campaign with a massive army on the ground. His campaign already has by far the largest full-time paid staff in presidential campaign history, and unlike Republican rival John McCain's, continues to grow by the day.

Is Obama ready to be chief?

clipped from www.msnbc.msn.com Back in January, I argued that the outcome of the Democratic nomination hinged on one question: To what extent can Barack Obama reassure primary and caucus voters that he is ready to be their president? Now, nearly five months later, the answer may determine the outcome of the general election.   Obama heads to Europe, Mideast July 17: Presidential hopeful Barack Obama is heading on a five-country European and Middle East tour. NBC’s chief White House correspondent, David Gregory, reports.