The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is under fire from doctors saying it is approving too many high-priced drugs — with Biogen's Alzheimer's drug aducanumab among such medications, reports the Wall Street Journal . Aducanumab is the first disease-modifying drug to show effectiveness. A late-stage trial indicated that a high-dose treatment eliminated 71 percent of amyloid plaque accumulation after 18 months, and significantly affected disease progression. However, the long history of failed Alzheimer's medicines has prompted skeptics to dismiss this result as a false positive, and cite a second concurrent trial that lacked a statistically significant impact on symptoms. Yet a post-hoc review apparently explained the discrepancies, and the FDA said in June 2019 that the evidence from the positive trial could be "considered exceptionally persuasive." But an outside panel of scientist advisers that the FDA convened in November 2020 claimed Biogen massaged the data, and urged the FDA to undertake another trial — which could take at least five years. Three panelists wrote in the Journal of the American Medical Association that the FDA's "unusual degree of collaboration" with Biogen could have "potentially compromised" its objectivity. However, such interaction is one reason for the rapid development of COVID vaccines, and if the agency accedes to the panel's recommendations, Alzheimer's drug development could be set back by years.

Research determined that the age-related deterioration of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) may lead to Alzheimer's and other disorders, but animal studies could offer hope, reports Scientific American . The researchers observed that a targeted drug can halt cognitive problems caused by BBB leakage-related inflammation in older rats. This involves shielding brain cells from being irritated by blood proteins or by making genetic alterations that prevent those cells from emitting inflammatory molecules. Moreover, imaging studies revealed excessive and progressive BBB leakage in people with Alzheimer's. A cascade of disturbances in the brain's electrical function has been traced to the blood protein albumin. These and other findings suggest that pharmaceutical research should focus on fortifying the BBB rather than making it more permeable.

A study published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society found music therapy — especially slow-tempo, soft-volume, and smooth melodic music — may significantly improve sleep quality in older adults, reports the American Journal of Managed Care . The researchers chose five randomized controlled trials that fulfilled inclusion criteria, totaling 142 participants in the music therapy cohorts and 146 participants in the control groups. Each participant was a community-dwelling adult whose listening duration ranged from 30 to 60 minutes over a period of two days to three months. Significantly better sleep quality was observed among participants who received music therapy compared with those who did not, with sleep quality further enhanced among people listening to music for more than four weeks. Moreover, older adults who listened to sedative music experienced more effective improvement in sleep quality than those listening to rhythm-centered music. "Music therapy might be the first line of therapy to recommend in older adults with sleep disturbances, which would reduce the need for or dependence on sedatives and sleeping medication," the researchers suggested.

Because of the pandemic, nearly one in four retirees say it is "extremely necessary" for them to return to work and generate income, according to a study by Bay Alarm Medical and cited by Employee Benefit News. Forty-five percent of retirees said they have already applied for remote-work gigs or jobs, even though almost half say there is a substantial technology skills gap to overcome. Almost half are considering working remotely 10-20 hours per week. Some workers are worried about returning to the workforce amid an anticipated competitive hiring frenzy. However, it's likely that there won't be any competition between retirees and newer job applicants because the two demographics are in search of different things from their prospective companies. Older workers are seeking gigs of less than 30 hours a week. Although older professionals are the demographic most willing to return to work once vaccines are distributed, more than half of all the remote professionals surveyed said they'd prefer to continue working remotely. Closing the digital divide will be necessary as older workers are hired. Companies such as PwC already have begun implementing programs to reskill and upskill their workers.

President Biden on Wednesday announced new employer tax credits to encourage people reluctant to be vaccinated to get the COVID-19 shot, reports the Associated Press . More specifically, Biden unveiled a tax credit for small businesses to provide paid leave for those getting vaccinated or potentially needing to take time off to recover from side effects. Covered by the $1.9 trillion virus relief package passed in March, the tax change would offer a daily credit of up to $511 per employee for businesses with fewer than 500 workers to guarantee that those workers or businesses are not penalized for getting vaccinated. The administration is urging larger employers to offer the same benefits to their employees, as well as educate them about the shots and encourage them to get vaccinated. "We're calling on every employer, large and small, in every state, to give employees the time off they need with pay to get vaccinated," Biden declared.

Many longtime friends are facing tough decisions as more people are diagnosed with Alzheimer's, reports the Wall Street Journal . "It's difficult for people to see the changes in their friends. They don't know what to say and do," says Concordia University Professor Darla Fortune. A study in Dementia found that those who maintained long-term friendships with Alzheimer's-afflicted people often mentioned keeping to familiar and comfortable places. Beth Kallmyer with the Alzheimer's Association says it helps for people in the early stages of the disease to let close friends know. Among the strategies recommended for people continuing friendships with people with Alzheimer's is to not be afraid of the afflicted friend being silent at times. Those engaging with Alzheimer's patients should notice what interests them, what makes them happy, and what makes them uncomfortable. Calling and visiting often also is recommended.

Middle-age adults who sleep six or fewer hours a night may be at higher risk of developing dementia in later life, according to a new study published Tuesday in Nature Communications and cited by the Wall Street Journal . The research found that men and women age 50 or 60 who regularly slept six hours or less each night were more likely than those who slept seven hours to be diagnosed with dementia. Even after controlling for cardiac, metabolic, and mental-health issues, the research team determined that 50-year-olds who were sleeping six hours or less a night had a 22 percent higher risk of developing dementia later in life. Sixty-year-olds, meanwhile, were 37 percent more likely to develop the disorder. For the results, a group of European researchers looked at survey data for approximately 8,000 adults in the United Kingdom over 25 years and linked that data with dementia diagnoses in electronic health records. The authors cautioned that the findings can't officially establish whether less sleep causes dementia.

CBS 8 reports that two college students have launched San Diego Cabbie, a service that covers up to a $30 Uber or Lyft ride for Asian women and seniors. University of California, Riverside sophomore Sydney Trieu and Emory University sophomore Paul Lim started the service in response to escalating violence against Asian Americans, especially seniors. "A lot of our family and friends are here, and we want to make sure Asian communities are safe in San Diego," said Trieu. Since launching last week, San Diego Cabbie has raised more than $1,000 in three days. When booking a ride, customers can submit their reimbursement and receipt to the San Diego Cabbie website with a picture to verify they are eligible and San Diego Cabbie will reimburse them. The service also is taking donations. "It's really warmed my heart because I really feel the teamwork that we have in the community, it's not just me and Sydney doing this together, it's really the entire community," said Lim.

A study published in Movement Disorders suggests being neurotic can elevate one's risk of developing Parkinson's disease, reports Yahoo! Lifestyle . The researchers analyzed data compiled by the U.K. Biobank on nearly 500,000 people aged 40 to 69 from the mid-to-late-'90s and monitored for 12 years. Those who scored in the top quartile of neuroticism had more than an 80 percent higher risk of Parkinson's, compared to lower-scoring subjects. "Anxiety and depression are comorbid with Parkinson's disease," explained Florida State University College of Medicine Professor Antonio Terracciano. "Many people with Parkinson's tend to be anxious or tend to get depressed. Part of that could be due to the disease and how it alters the brain and can have an influence on emotions. Part could be a psychological reaction of having a diagnosis of the disease." There is an implication that younger people with depression are at higher risk of Parkinson's later, although Terracciano notes that the study's observations "suggest that some emotional vulnerability is present early in life, years before the development of Parkinson's disease."

According to a survey conducted by Home Instead Inc. and reported on by the Norfolk Daily News , 83 percent of older Americans are living with at least one diminished sense. Whether it's touch, vision, or smell, even the slightest deficit can create major challenges for seniors, especially in a world that is not generally designed to accommodate those with sensory loss. Researchers caution that seniors experiencing these impairments can also find themselves at a greater risk for isolation, particularly during the ongoing pandemic. The study further found that one in three older men and women living with a sensory loss felt they missed out on such social experiences as hobbies and trips before COVID-19. Safety precautions such as social distancing guidelines and stay-in-place orders have further limited their ability to fully connect with the world around them.