New Drug for Hearing Loss Enters Clinical Testing
"Sound Pharmaceuticals has started a 32 patient Phase 1 study of SPI-1005 in normal healthy volunteers. SPI-1005 is an oral capsule, and contains as its active ingredient a selenium based small molecule mimic of the enzyme glutathione peroxidase...."

Johns Hopkins Medicine
Media Relations and Public Affairs
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

GIVING UP DRIVING MAY BE EXPRESS LANE TO LONG-TERM CARE
"Taking the keys has serious consequences for older drivers," study concludes.

Although the slower driving habits of some seniors often steam impatient younger motorists, researchers at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine have found that elders who stay behind the wheel are less likely to enter nursing homes or assisted living centers than those who have never driven or who have given up driving altogether.

The Johns Hopkins study findings, published in the July issue of the American Journal of Public Health, included extensive interviews conducted over a 10-year period with 1,593 seniors between 65 and 84 years of age who lived in the small Eastern Shore town of Salisbury, Md.

"We are not recommending continuation of driving for seniors who are a threat to themselves or others on the road," said Ellen Freeman, Ph.D., an epidemiological researcher now working with the Johns Hopkins Wilmer Eye Institute and the study's lead author. "Instead, we hope that understanding the very real health impact that losing the ability to drive has on seniors will encourage families to plan contingencies to assist elderly members with transportation issues."

The researchers also pointed out that losing the ability to drive poses an especially significant hardship to seniors living in isolated rural areas or any place without good, accessible public transportation for the elderly.

NIA NEWS RELEASE
July 17, 2006

*Scientists Discover New Frontotemporal Dementia Gene*

Scientists have discovered genetic mutations that cause a form of familial frontotemporal dementia (FTD), a finding that provides clues to the underlying mechanism of this devastating disease and that may provide insight for future approaches to developing therapies. The mutations are contained in a single gene that scientists can now identify as responsible for a large portion of inherited FTD. A rare brain disorder, FTD usually affects people between ages 40 and 64 with symptoms that include personality changes and inappropriate social behavior. Published online July 16, 2006, in Nature, the research was funded by the National Institute on Aging (NIA), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

The discovery builds on a 1998 finding of mutations in another gene that is responsible for a smaller proportion of inherited FTD cases. Amazingly, both the gene found in 1998 and the newly found gene were found on the same region of chromosome 17. Today’s discovery appears to explain all the remaining inherited FTD cases linked to genes on chromosome 17 and may provide new insights into the causes of the overall disease process. Geneticist Michael Hutton, Ph.D., of the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Jacksonville, Fla., led an international scientific team to discover the new gene.

“This new finding is an important advance in our understanding of frontotemporal dementia,” says NIA director Richard J. Hodes. “It identifies a mutation in the gene producing a growth factor that helps neurons survive, and it suggests that lack of this growth factor may be involved in this form of frontotemporal dementia.”

FTD encompasses a set of rare brain disorders. While most cases are sporadic, an estimated 20 to 50 percent has a family history of dementia, according to the Association for Frontotemporal Dementias. FTD affects the frontal and temporal lobes of the brain. People with FTD may exhibit uninhibited and socially inappropriate behavior, changes in personality and, in late stages, loss of memory, motor skills and speech. There is no treatment.

Migraine with "aura" linked with heart disease risk:
"A new study found that older women who experience migraines with auras run a much higher risk of heart disease than women who either get migraines without auras, or never have migraines at all.
"Aura" refers to visual warnings migraine sufferers experience 10 to 30 minutes before a migraine, and can include seeing bright lights or wavy lines, or temporary vision loss.

The researchers say they need to conduct further studies to determine if men and younger women with aura migraines also run a higher risk of stroke and heart disease. More research is also needed to find out how to lower the risks for aura migraine sufferers, as well as whether or not treating the migraine itself can lower risks.

Most likely, the migraines and heart disease share a common cause. The "aura" of the migraines is simply a symptom of the underlying cause, which is probably related to poor cardiovascular health and poor nutritional habits.......The study was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.."

"The Anti-Aging Diet":
"It seems we're all trying to find the 'magic bullet' that delays the natural aging process. Put an antiaging label on most any product, and it flies off the shelves.

Yet if you're trying to look your best without going under the knife, a secret ingredient might be right under your nose. Some experts say one answer to aging gracefully can be found in the grocery store -- in fruits, vegetables, green tea, and a host of other healthful foods that are rich in antioxidants and other potentially age-deterring compounds....."

Researchers Discover a Genetic Cause for Atrial Fibrillation:
"Mayo Clinic investigators have discovered a gene mutation causing chaotic electrical activation of the heart muscle and atrial fibrillation (AF), a common heart-rhythm disturbance affecting millions of Americans. Atrial fibrillation can lead to heart failure and stroke.
'The discovery underscores the significance of heredity in susceptibility to atrial fibrillation,' explains Timothy M. Olson, M.D., director of the Cardiovascular Genetics Laboratory at Mayo Clinic...."

Poor Glycemic Control Increases Diabetics' Risk of Dementia : "Diabetic patients with glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels that are well out of control are driving down the road towards dementia,......"