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16 million Americans could have Alzheimer's by 2050 BY EMMA ROSS T^ASSOCIATED PRESS ?"LONDON - The number of Americans with Alzheimer's disease could rise from 4.6 mil lion today to 16 million by 2050, new research indicates. The projections, presented recently at an international Alzheimer's conference in Stockholm, are slightly higher than those conducted 10 years ago, mostly because more peo ple .are expected to live beyond the age of 85 than were predict ed to a decade ago. ? Tfen years ago. Dr. Denis Evans of the Rush Institute on Healthy Aging in Chicago used figures from the 1990 U.S. Census to estimate that 14 mil lion Americans could be struck by Alzheimer's by 2050. Q 3Vow he has updated that projection with informaffbn from* the 2000 U.S. Census. The latest study is a collabora tion between Evan's team, other Chicago researchers and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The forecast presented at the International Conference on Alzheimer's Disease and Relat ed Disorders was based on a study of 6,158 people in Chica go and gives a low, medium and high estimate of how many people will probably have the disease within the next 50 years. The estimate mges from 11 million peopK 00 the low end to 16 million Onlhe upper end. Unsurprisingly, the biggest surge will be among people aged 85 and older, Evans said. Death rates in the United States have been declining, Evans said, and experts predict they will be half what they are now in 2050. "The projected increase in numbers of people with Alzheimer's disease is not due only to the total number of peo ple alive, but to the substantial ly increased survival of people with the disease," said Evans. Last year, the World Health Organization estimated there may be as many as 37 million people worldwide with demen tia. Alzheimer's is the most common form of dementia. Economists estimate that, in the United States alone, it costs at least $100 billion a year to look after people with Alzheimer's. A study last month estimated that U.S. busi nesses lose about $61 billion a year because of employees who have to care for family mem bers stricken with Alzheimer's. "The study on Alzheimer's prevalence and those on the costs related to Alzheimer's underscore the urgent need for more research into the causes, prevention and treatment of this devastating disease," said Stephen McConnell, interim president and chief executive officer of the Alzheimer's Association, who was not involved in the research. He said the projections pro vide further evidence of a looming global crisis and that his organization is urging the U.S. Congress to increase fed eral funding of Alzheimer's research to $1 billion a year. "We must find the answers before these projections become a reality," McConnell said. St. Jude from page C3 Hargrove, who received both his undergraduate and medical school degrees from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, says family is one of the predominant reasons he chose his surgical specialty. "I always wanted to be a sur geon, and this exciting area of surgery gives me maximum, patient contact as 1 learn advanced surgical procedures." Hargrove explained. "It also allows me to get to know the patients and their families very well, which is extremely impor tant to me." St. Jude's pediatric oph thalmic oncology training pro gram is one of the most respect ed of its kind in the nation. "We had over 60 applicants for this fellowship, all excep tionally qualified and dedicated ophthalmologists. Dr. Hargrove was Our number one choice," said Haik, U.T.'s ophthalmology department chair who, along with Wilson, Fleming and Un der. is associated with St. Jude. "Once we met Roderick, we knew he was the best candidate for the position." Hargrove is especially excit ed to work alongside physicians at St. Jude who specialize in treatment of retinoblastoma and orbital cancers. "Here at St. Jude, we treat a lot of patients with child|iood eye cancers," said Hargrove. "Not only do I get to help save a child's life, but possibly pre serve their sight and cosmetic appearance." Hargrove arrived in Mem phis this month from the State University of New York (SUNY), Downstate Medical Center in New York City, where he has been in ophthalmology residency training since 1999. He was Ophthalmology Resi dent of the Year in 2000-2001. Before his residency at SUNY, Hargrove was a transi tional intern at Memphis' Methodist Central Hospital. St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, in Memphis, Tenn., was founded by the late enter tainer Danny Thomas. The hos pital is an internationally recog nized biomedical research cen ter dedicated to finding cures for childhood catastrophic diseases. The hospital's work is supported through funds raised by ALSAC, St. Jude's fund-raising arm. ALSAC covers all costs not covered by insurance for medical treatment rendered at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. Families without insurance are never asked to pay. HHS Pm m> o spend four hours or more watching television daily and only 27 percent of students in grades 9 through 12 engage in moderate pl^sical activity at least 30 minutes a day on five or more days of the week. Three-quarters of overweight and obese tweens do not change their habits and remain overweight and obese in adult hood. Obesity and overweight has been linked to increased risks of cancer, heart disease, stroke and diabetes among adults. The Journal of Physical Education. Recreation & Dance reported that according to a-study published Dec. 12, 2001. in the Journal of the American Medical Associa tion, the percentage of signifi cantly overweight children in America increased at an epi demic rate from 1986 to 1998. especially among minorities. The percentage of overweight black and Latino children more than doubled during the studs period, and the percent age, of overweight non-Latino whtte children increased 50 pete?nt. "Che percentage of over weight black children increased from 8 percent in 1986-to 22 percent in 1998. (Overweight is defined as hav ing a body-mass index greater than 95 percent of their peers when compared with growth data from 4 the 1960s to P*8i)s). The percentage of black children considered overweight and at-risk (with a bj>dy mass index higher than 85 percent of their peers) increased from 20 percent in 1986 to 38 percent in 1998. while the percentage of over weight and at-risk white chil dren increased from 20 per ctnt in 1986 to 29 percent in 1998. Officials said reasons for the ^increase in childhood overweight include sedentary life<Jyle (playing video games, using computers and watching television), poor nutrition (too much junk food), children living in poor am? urban neighborhoods belOg forced by their parents to^illay indoors because of neighborhood safety concerns, and reduction in recreational sports programs for disadvan taged children in many cities. I The study published in the Journal of the American Med ical-Association drew its data from the National Longitudi nal Survey of Youth, which involved a nationally repre sentative sample of 8.270 chil dren 4 to 12 years old. The Los Angeles Times reported Dec. II. 2001. that ah even larger study, involving I million California students, showed that only 23 percent of the tested students are physi cally fit. according to The Journal of Physical Education. Recreation & Dance. And it showed a troubling discrepan ay in fitness rates for different racial and ethnic groups. For Example, among seventh graders, only 19 percent of black students and 19 percent Of Latino students were able to demonstrate a minimum level of physical fitness, compared with 32 percent of white stu dents and 34 percent of Asian students. In the study, students in fifth, seventh and ninth grades were tested for fitness m -such categories as strength, ?erobrc capacity and flexibili ty. One of the reasons given for the poor level of physical File Photo The U.S. surgeon general's office recommends that Americans accumulate at least 30 minutes (adults) or 60 minutes (children) of moderate physical activity most days of the week. fitness was that too little time is devoted to physical educa tion. The U.S. surgeon general's office has offered these tips for how a parent can help an overweight child: ? General suggestions: Let your child know he or she is loved and appreciated whatev er his or her weight. Focus on your child's health and posi tive qualities, not your child's weight. Try not to make your child feel different if he or she is overweight but focus on gradually changing your fami ly's physical activity and eat ing habits. Be a good role model for your child. If your child sees you enjoying healthy foods and physical activity, he or she is more like ly to do the same now and for the rest of his or her life. Real ize that an appropriate goal for many overweight children is to maintain current weight while growing normally in height. ? Physical activity sugges tions: It is recommended that Americans accumulate at least 30 minutes (adults) or 60 min utes (children) of moderate physical activity most days of the week. Even greater amounts of physical activity may be necessary for the pre vention of weight gain, for weight loss, or for sustaining weight loss. Plan family activ ities that provide everyone with exercise and enjoyment. Provide a safe environment for your children and their friends to play actively; encourage swimming, biking, skating, ball sports, and other fun activities. Reduce the amount, of time you and your family spend in sedentary activities, such as watching TV or play ing video games. Limit TV 1 time to less than two hours a day. ? Healthy eating sugges tions: Follow the dietary guidelines for healthy eating (www.health.gov/dietaryguide lines). Guide your family's choices rather than dictate foods. Encourage your child to eat when hungry and to eat slowly. Eat meals together as a family as often as possible. Carefully cut down on the amount of fat and calories in your family's diet. Don't place your child on a restrictive diet. Avoid the use of food as a reward. Avoid withholding food as punishment. Children should be encouraged to drink water and to limit intake of beverages with added sugars, such as soft drinks, fruit juice drinks, and sports drinks. Plan for healthy snacks. Stock the refrigerator with fat-free or low-fat milk, fresh fruit, and vegetables instead of soft drinks or snacks that are high in fat, calories, or added sugars and low in essential nutrients. Aim to eat at least five servings of fruits and veg etables each day. Discourage eating meals or snacks while watching television. Eating a healthy breakfast is a good way to start the day and may be important in achieving and maintaining a healthy weight. According to the Presi dent's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports, each pound of fat your body stores represents 3,500 calories of unused energy. In order to lose one pound, you would have to create a calorie deficit of 3,500 calories by either taking in 3,500 less calories over a period of time than you need or doing 3,500 calories worth of exercise. It is recommended that no more than two pounds (7,000 calories) be lost per week for lasting weight loss. Here are some examples of energy expended per hour for various activities: bicycling (5 mph) 174: canoeing (2.S mph) 174; dancing (ballroom) 210; golf (two-some, carrying clubs) 324; horseback riding ci (sitting to trot) 246; light housework, cleaning, etc. 246; swimming (crawl, 20 yards/minute) 288; tennis (recreational doubles) 312; volleyball (recreational) 264; walking (2 mph) 198; aerobic dancing 546; basketball (recreational) 450; bicycling (13 mph) 612; circuit weight training 756; football (touch, vigorous) 498; ice skating (9 mph) 384; racquetball 588; roller skating (9 mph) 384; jogging (10-minute mile, 6 mph) 654; scrubbing floors 440; swimming (crawl, 45 yards/minute) 522; tennis (recreational singles) 450; cross-country skiing (5 mph) 690. Hourly estimates are based on values calculated for calories burned per minute for a 150-pound (68 kg) person. www wschronicle. com .vtAaMgement/w ^ % Tired'of carrying that extra load? "A Powerful 14-Week Program" Licensed experts partner with you to provide: ? A healthy eating plan . An activity plan ? Controls for stress and emotional eating Sessions to Learn More Details: BestHealth Center, Hanes Mall August 5-7:00 PM & Program Headquarters Piedmont Plaza 1,2nd Floor First & Miller Streets August 6 - 8:00 AM August 7 - 12:00 N August 12 - 7:00 PM Call 716-2235 New Group Starting Soon! q Wednesdays 8:00 - 9:00 AM Limited Enrollment! ? Family & Community Medicine COMFORT CARE Medical, Inc. \J 1-866-795-4949 1-336-766-8006 Hospital Beds ? Wheel Chairs (Manual or Power) Walkers ? Canes ? Scooters ? Lifts ? Supplies Free Delivery, Call Miss Ginny We Accept: Medicare/Medicaid and Private Insurance PO Box 265 ? Clemmons, NC 27012 ? Located at 6340 Cephis Drive FREE MEDICAL SERVICES FOR LOW-INCOME FAMILIES WITH NO MEDICAL INSURANCE COMMUNITY CARE CENTER OPEN MONDAYS AND THURSDAYS FROM 5-9 P.M. TUESDAYS FROM 1-4 P.M. QUALIFICATIONS: Family income must meet certain requirements for eligibili ty; you will be asked to show: ? Proof of most recent family income, and proof of the amount paid in rent if any. ? Proof of any income received in aid from outside sources. ? Proof of the last wage earned, if currently unemployed ? Proof from a physician of any illness or disability that prohibits employment. The Community Care Center is pot an emergency clinic! You must make an appointment to be screened for eligibility. After you have been approved, you will be given an appointment with a physician. 2135 NEW WALKERTOWN ROAD WINSTON-SALEM, NC 27101 TELEPHONE: 723-7904 * CIMIWO X 4
Winston-Salem Chronicle (Winston-Salem, N.C.)
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Aug. 1, 2002, edition 1
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