Dementia: Early detection is key

The leader of dementia research in CSIRO’s Preventative Health National Research Flagship, Dr Cassandra Szoeke, says the report highlights the challenge the nation faces with the number dementia sufferers predicted to double to 465,000 by 2030.

“About 80 per cent of dementia in Australia is caused by Alzheimer’s disease,” Dr Szoeke, says. “Early diagnosis is crucial if we are to begin managing this crisis more effectively.”

“By the time sufferers show symptoms of memory loss, severe irreversible brain cell death may have already occurred.”

“In Australia every week another 1000 people are being diagnosed with dementia. It is only by early diagnosis that treatment can be effective, preserving memory and brain.”

“With the initiation of the AIBL (Australian Imaging, Biomarker and Lifestyle) cluster study the combined institutions have potentially brought forward the detection of Alzheimer’s disease by 18 months,” Dr Szoeke says.

“Early detection can not only aid with future treatment options but it can also help with the planning and delivery of dementia care services in Australia.”

Released earlier this week, the Access Economics report also found that investment in dementia research is a key strategy for addressing the epidemic.

“There is no question that research is the key to reducing the burden of the disease on the community for the future and CSIRO and its partners will continue to seek effective, new approaches to prevention, diagnosis and treatment of these diseases,” Dr Szoeke says.

* The Australian Imaging, Biomarker and Lifestyle (AIBL) Flagship Study of Ageing is a collaboration initiated by the CSIRO Preventative Health National Research Flagship. AIBL is a joint activity between the Flagship, the University of Melbourne, Edith Cowan University – Western Australia, Neurosciences Australia, the Mental Health Research Institute of Victoria and the National Ageing Research Institute.

National Research Flagships

CSIRO initiated the National Research Flagships to provide science-based solutions in response to Australia’s major research challenges and opportunities. The nine Flagships form multidisciplinary teams with industry and the research community to deliver impact and benefits for Australia.

New Research Demonstrates that Wild Blueberries May Support Cardiovascular Health

New research shows that Wild Blueberries may have a cardio-protective effect, improving vascular function and decreasing the vulnerability of blood vessels to oxidative stress. (Sources:Journal of Medicinal Food, 2009; Feb; 12(1): 21-8 and Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry, 2009, Jan 19) The studies contribute to a growing body of research supporting the potential protective effect of Wild Blueberries in the diet on cellular signaling within the vascular environment. These findings suggest that the consumption of Wild Blueberries could help regulate blood pressure and combat atherosclerosis.

“Our studies confirm our hypothesis that Wild Blueberry-enriched diets significantly diminish arterial constriction in animal models by relaxing blood vessels, which may have implications on blood pressure regulation in both animal models with normal blood pressure and ones with high blood pressure. We also discovered that Wild Blueberries operate differently in the above animal models, but the end result is to aid in maintenance of a functional endothelium which may help prevent vascular complications associated with hypertension,” said Dr. Dorothy Klimis-Zacas, Ph.D., Professor of Clinical Nutrition and lead researcher from the Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, University of Maine, Orono.

According to Dr. Klimis-Zacas, controlling oxidative stress and inflammatory responses in the vascular environment is key to cardiovascular health. “We continue to focus our research on the role of diet in disease prevention. Our work with animals fed a diet of whole fruit, like Wild Blueberries, takes research one-step further beyond an examination of fruit extracts and their impact on cell cultures. If we can control oxidative stress and inflammation through diet, we could see a protective cardiovascular benefit. Recently, we have also come to appreciate that the role of Wild Blueberry bioactive compounds and their metabolites is not only accomplished through their antioxidant properties but also through their ability to act as regulators of signal transduction pathways and may also affect gene expression.”

Wild Blueberries and Antioxidants

According to Susan Davis, MS, RD, Nutrition Advisor to the Wild Blueberry Association of North America, Dr. Klimis-Zacas’ research contributes to a growing body of evidence that Wild Blueberries, as part of a well-balanced diet, have the potential to reduce chronic disease risk and promote healthy aging. “Studies like these make it clear that food truly can be medicine and that healthy eating is critical to a long and healthy life. Something as simple as having one cup of fruits and vegetables at every meal will pay large dividends in health,” said Davis. She noted that eating a variety of fruits and vegetables is key, but because USDA research findings using the Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity (ORAC) measure ranked Wild Blueberries highest in antioxidant capacity per serving, she recommends eating Wild Blueberries every day. The study showed that a serving of Wild Blueberries had more antioxidant capacity than a serving of cranberries, strawberries, raspberries, apples, and even cultivated blueberries. (Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 2004; 52:4026-4037)

Antioxidants are important in terms of their ability to protect against oxidative cell damage that can lead to conditions like Alzheimer’s disease, cancer and heart disease – conditions also linked with chronic inflammation. The antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects of blue-purple foods like Wild Blueberries may have the potential to help prevent these diseases.

Wild Blueberry Association of North America

The Wild Blueberry Association of North America is a trade association of growers and processors of Wild Blueberries from Mine and Canada, dedicated to bringing the Wild Blueberry health story and unique Wild Advantages to consumers and the trade worldwide. To learn more about Wild Blueberries visit wildblueberries.com.

Budget Proposes Cuts in 121 Programs

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama’s detailed 2010 budget plan, due out Thursday, will propose to eliminate or consolidate 121 domestic and defense programs to save $17 billion, administration officials said Wednesday.

The trims, though modest, are likely to spark opposition from lawmakers and interest groups seeking to shift to someone else cuts aimed at narrowing next year’s projected $1.2 trillion deficit.

“There are very few programs that don’t have a constituency and someone who is willing to stand up for them in Congress. We understand that,” a senior administration official said. But he added, “A lot of programs are implemented with the best of intentions. Not all of them are effective.”

Compared with the total $3.6 trillion spending plan for 2010, the proposed trims amount to one-half of 1%. Half the cuts would come from defense, especially Pentagon weapons programs already spelled out by Defense Secretary Robert Gates, such as trimming back the fleet of advanced F-22 fighter planes. The other half would come from programs that have strong support among progressive activists who cheered Mr. Obama’s election.

An administration official said that over 10 years, the total saved by the proposed program cuts would exceed $200 billion.

One of the biggest targets, the early childhood education program Even Start, had been on George W. Bush’s target list since 2004.

Other programs slated for elimination are the Education Department’s Jacob K. Javitz fellowship program and Christopher Columbus grants, the latter of which has a $1 million-a-year budget, 80% of which is overhead. Also gone would be an option to have the Earned Income Credit included in weekly or monthly paychecks, and the Justice Department’s State Criminal Alien Assistance Program, which compensated states for some of the costs of incarcerating illegal immigrants who commit crimes. A White House aide also cited the Long Range Radio Navigation System, a $35 million Coast Guard system made obsolete by global positioning systems.

“Some of these have been on the books north of 40 years,” said White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel. “Inertia set in.”

The defense of many targeted programs has already begun. AIDS activists are fuming that an expansion of developing-world health programs will favor other health needs over HIV/AIDS.

Liberal think tanks are worried about a proposed partnership with state governments to root out fraud in joint state-federal programs such as Medicaid and children’s health insurance.

“There is a kind of ‘Nixon going to China’ aspect to this,” said Isabel Sawhill, co-director of the Center of Children and the Family at the liberal-leaning Brookings Institution. Just as only Republican President Richard Nixon could go to communist China in 1972 without being destroyed politically, only a popular Democrat could challenge liberal groups on sacrosanct programs that may have outlived their usefulness, she said.

“There’s a different perspective that exists and a different sense of commitment,” Mr. Emanuel said. “We bring a certain credibility.”

White House officials acknowledged the similarity between Mr. Obama’s 121 program cuts and consolidations and $17 billion savings and Mr. Bush’s 151 programs and $18 billion savings proposed for 2009. About 40% of the programs Mr. Obama has targeted for elimination or consolidation come directly off a similar list proposed by Mr. Bush over the past two budget seasons on Capitol Hill. Congress largely ignored those proposed cuts.

—Greg Hitt contributed to this article.

Write to Jonathan Weisman at jonathan.weisman@wsj.com