Thomas Brittain and his immediate family gathered in the neurologist’s office, eager to hear the health status of their beloved family member, 67-year-old Sarah Cadena. “Your mother has a cognitive impairment,” the neurologist said. “We recommend that she transition to living with family for her own safety.” Without a second thought, the Brittain family began planning how to care for Sarah Cadena. That was 13 years ago. Since then, Sarah Cadena has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, a disease that can lead to progressive memory loss and ability to perform daily activities. Thomas, Sarah Cadena’s son, a retired San Antonio police officer, is now her primary caretaker. Sarah Cadena lives with Thomas and his family, and as far as caretaking goes, Thomas said he and ...
A cool breeze hits Carlos Olivas III’s face and suddenly the smells of fresh, warm coffee and donuts hits his nose. He enjoys a short, tranquil moment at a bakery as part of his daily routine alongside his father, Carlos Olivas Jr., also known as Charlie. Carlos is a full-time caregiver for Charlie, who is living with Alzheimer’s in Sacramento. Carlos saw what caregiving looked like from a young age. He watched his mother and father care for his grandmother and, later, his father care for his ailing mother. “My dad was the caregiver for my mom, who was dealing with breast cancer, diabetes, and congenital heart failure. In 2008, she passed. Reflecting back, that was the first time, the real hero,” Carlos said. “He set the stage as a male caregiver, without knowing ...
Family is the heart of Latino culture. Many Latinos are expected to take on the respectable but high-stress role of caregiving for their aging parents, who are 1.5 times more likely than non-Latino Whites to develop Alzheimer’s disease. Join UT Health San Antonio's webinar — “How to Care for the Latino Caregiver” — at 11 a.m. CST on Tuesday, June 27, 2023, to explore how to support Latino caregivers as they support their families. Panelists from UT Health San Antonio, the National Alliance for Caregiving, and Genentech will share how to ease caregivers’ stress, anxiety, and depression, as part of Alzheimer's And Brain Awareness Month in June. This is a part of a webinar of a series, “Let’s Address Health Equity Together.” The series is a collaboration of ...
Alzheimer’s patients and their loved ones have new reason for hope after positive results from clinical trial of a new treatment called lecanemab. Lecanemab – a drug designed to slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease by targeting amyloid plaque buildup in the brain – reduced the progression of cognitive decline among trial participants by 27% over 18 months, compared to placebo, according to UsAgainstAlzheimers. “This is very important and quite positive news that gives our nation’s 6 million Alzheimer’s patients and their loved ones reason to hope again. In fact, the data is a reminder that each drug in this class of therapies is quite different,” said George Vradenburg, chair and co-founder of UsAgainstAlzheimers. What do the results show, and how will ...
From merengue to salsa, dance and music are at the heart of the Latino community. Latin dance celebrates culture, history, family, and joyous occasions. Now Latin dance is proving to help the working memory of older Latinos. Latinos age 55 or older who participated in a culturally relevant Latin dance program for 8 months significantly improved their working memory, compared to other peers in a controlled group that attended educational workshops, according to a recent study by researchers from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Let’s explore why Latin dance is so beneficial.
What Did the Latin Dance Study Explore?
The recent study examined changes in cognitive performance among over 330 middle-aged and older Latinos participating in the Balance and Activity in ...
Researchers at UC Davis Health and the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth Houston) are working on a new study to predict who is most at risk for dementia or Alzheimer’s disease. The study includes creating a health ‘scorecard’ for dementia risk. Here’s what you need to know about the study and how you can participate.
Study Goal
UT Health San Antonio will be the clinical research site for the Diverse Vascular Contributions to Cognitive Impairment and Dementia (Diverse VCID) study. Data will be collected through brain scans, genetics, and other key biomarkers. “Putting these very different pieces of information together, our ultimate goal is to really come up with a risk profile,” Dr. Charles DeCarli, Professor of Neurology and ...
Clinical trials can have big benefits. They help researchers learn more to help slow, manage, and treat Alzheimer’s and cancer for ourselves and our abuelos, moms, dads, and others we love. So then why don't many Latinos join? To address this issue, you’re invited to join our Zoom webinar — Why Should I Think about Joining a Clinical Trial? — at 6 p.m. CT on Wednesday, Aug. 17, 2022. Webinar speakers Dr. Adolfo Diaz Duque of UT Health San Antonio and Dr. Bárbara Segarra-Vázquez of the University of Puerto Rico will help health care professionals and the Latino public understand clinical trial processes, explore trials as treatment options, and share testimonials of real Latinos who have benefited from trials. Panelists will also cover the barriers that prevent ...
Ever heard of donating biospecimens for research? When a person donates biospecimens—blood, fluid, or tissue samples—it gives researchers the opportunity to better understand, treat, and prevent medical conditions from cancer to Alzheimer's. Biospecimens are especially needed from Latinos, who suffer health disparities. Let’s use #SaludTues on Tuesday, July 5, 2022, to tweet about the need for biospecimen donations, how researchers use the donations, and how you can donate to improve health for all people! WHAT: #SaludTues: What Is Biospecimen Donation and Should You Donate?
TIME/DATE: 1-2 p.m. EST (Noon-1 p.m. CST), Tuesday, July 5, 2022
WHERE: On Twitter with hashtag #SaludTues
HOST: @SaludAmerica
CO-HOSTS: Melissa Simon, Health Equity Researcher, ...
The National Institute of Aging (NIA) is seeking comments and suggestions on how it can implement community-based research networks to increase diversity in clinical trials for Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD). At Salud America!, we believe that diverse representation is critical in Alzheimer's clinical trials to ensure that health and medical discoveries are equitable for diverse populations. This means increasing diversity among research leaders and clinical trial participants and establishing sustainable connections with Latino communities and other communities of color who have historically been underrepresented in medicine. If you agree, you can endorse Dr. Amelie Ramirez’s comment to NIA. Responses will be accepted through Saturday April 9, ...