Volunteers needed for Alzheimer’s study
DEAR ABBY: More than 10,000 baby boomers in the U.S. turn 65 every day, and enter the “age of risk” for Alzheimer’s disease. I have witnessed the devastating effects of this disease in my work as a neurologist, as a clinical researcher, and sadly, in my own family.
The good news is that we are now starting prevention trials to try to stop memory loss before it begins! The A4 (AntiAmyloid Treatment in Asymptomatic Alzheimer’s) Study is the first clinical trial designed for people who have the earliest signs of Alzheimer’s disease beginning in the brain, but don’t yet have any symptoms of the disease. The A4 Study is enrolling healthy 65- to 85-year-olds across the country who may be at risk for memory loss due to Alzheimer’s disease.
I feel a new sense of hope, but we really need volunteers to join us. Our motto for the A4 Study is “Now is the time,” and now really IS the time to make a difference in defeating Alzheimer’s disease. I hope your readers who are interested will call (toll-free) 844-247-8839 or visit A4study.org to receive more information or to join us. — REISA SPERLING, M.D., PROJECT DIRECTOR, HARVARD MEDICAL SCHOOL
DEAR DR. SPERLING: I’m pleased to alert my readers to your clinical trial. Living to a “ripe old age” can be a mixed blessing because the older we get, the greater the likelihood of Alzheimer’s disease entering the picture.
Readers, Dr. Sperling is looking for subjects with a family history of Alzheimer’s disease or who, through prescreening, have been discovered to have amyloid plaques forming in the brain. There are more than 65 study sites throughout the U.S. and several in Canada, so you may be able to find a location near you.
DEAR ABBY: I am sure this issue affects many people, but I have not seen it addressed in your column. Oftentimes married partners are separated by many years in age. Eventually the older of them has to enter a long-term care facility due to a mental/physical defect.
Even though the bond and love that kept them together over the years still exists, the younger still has physical and emotional needs that can no longer be met by the older spouse. What are the ethics in the younger one having a “friend with benefits” to address those needs, if it’s done discreetly without causing embarrassment and humiliation to the older spouse? — FRIENDS WITH BENEFITS
DEAR FRIENDS:
This is a highly personal decision that no one can make for anyone else. While many readers may disagree, I see nothing wrong with taking care of yourself as long as you remember you have a moral obligation to support your spouse “’til death do you part.” To me that means visiting and spending time with your spouse every day to ensure his/her needs are taken care of in a compassionate and diligent manner, and to let the person know he or she is loved.