A study in Chemical Communications describes a compound engineered to block the enzyme gamma secretase's production of a precursor protein of amyloid beta, and perhaps prevent the formation of brain plaques that are a hallmark of Alzheimer's disease, reports FierceBiotech . "Historically, drug trials for gamma secretase inhibitors failed because traditional enzyme inhibitors have severe side effects," said Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Professor Chunyu Wang. "They stopped all of the normal functions of gamma secretase. Our compound binds to the cleavage site of the precursor protein instead of the enzyme itself, which may avoid many problems associated with traditional enzyme inhibitors." Wang sifted through tens of millions of compounds using computer modeling, and eventually pinpointed a "covalent inhibitor" that forms a permanent chemical bond with its target. The so-called C1 inhibitor impedes amyloid production in test tubes and cell culture.

Findings from Britain- and China-based researchers suggest seniors will suffer more deaths from the new coronavirus than others, reports Quartz . Forty-one fatalities attributed to the pathogen included 39 people who were older than 50. This not only highlights the need for effective treatments for older adults, but also warns that future pandemics could carry an even higher death toll than before as the over-50 population increases worldwide. Seniors are more vulnerable to infections because they are more likely to have other chronic health conditions that make fighting new pathogens even more difficult. Another contributor is the immune system's decreasing ability to defend against coronaviruses with age. Research indicates that coronaviruses appear to encourage older immune systems to incur extra inflammation, which can have a cascading effect. The researchers also warn that as people increasingly infringe into animal territory through farming, urbanization, and deforestation, the more likely it is that a pathogen present in animals will eventually jump to humans.

The National Institute on Aging has awarded a four-year grant of $1.17 million to Dartmouth-Hitchcock and the University of Massachusetts Boston to use voice assistant systems to identify early cognitive impairment, reports Fosters . The goal is to enhance early detection using voice and language to spot individuals in a nascent stage of cognitive impairment before they present to clinicians. Dartmouth Professor John A. Batsis said the initiative is a collaboration between the U.S. National Science Foundation and the National Institute of Health, and an effort to connect members of the scientific and medical communities on research projects. "Our team envisions that the changes in the speech patterns of individuals using the voice assistant systems may be sensitive to their decline in memory and function over time," said University of Massachusetts Boston Professor Xiaohui Liang. The researchers will develop the system, apply machine and deep learning methods, and compile data on participants to provide feedback to them, as well as to caregivers and doctors. If successful, the results will enable the investigators to broadly test the system, complementing current diagnostic procedures that could help individuals maintain independence at home. Batsis said the project will create a low-cost and practical home-based assessment method using voice assistant systems for early detection of cognitive decline.

A study by AARP and the Economist Intelligence Unit evaluated the effect of ageism on the U.S. economy, estimating that blocking seniors from the workforce adds up to $850 billion in lost productivity each year, reports MarketWatch . Analysis indicated that the 50-plus populace contributed 40 percent of the U.S. gross domestic product in 2018, and supported 88.6 million jobs and $5.7 trillion in wages and salaries. Older employees made $8.3 trillion in 2018, and their economic contribution should triple to $28.2 trillion by 2050. AARP suggested the elimination of age discrimination would bring their contribution to $32.1 trillion in 2050. The bipartisan Protecting Older Workers Against Discrimination Act would overturn a 2009 Supreme Court ruling that made it harder to claim age bias for a layoff or demotion. The law currently requires older workers to prove age discrimination as the reason for their dismissal or demotion, whereas employers previously had to provide a legitimate reason for firing or demoting the individual.

A study in Innovation in Aging assessed the effectiveness of patient-centered medical homes (PCMH), self-management resource center small group programs, wellness coaching, social networking, and personal health records in improving older adults' ability to supervise their own well-being, reports the Medical News Bulletin . A PCMH is a healthcare delivery model featuring a team of medical and community staff who are trained to help monitor and educate customers about their illnesses. Physicians track subjects' health and suggest possible therapies, while community workers educate older adults on dealing with their diseases, mental health, motivation, and setting realistic health goals. The researchers sought to determine whether additional intervention elements would improve the participants' quality of life. Over six months, participants who were assigned wellness coaches and had regular contact with them generally improved their daily physical functioning. The study implies that a structured medical environment that guides participants, and delivers self-help training and long-term follow-up with wellness coaching could significantly help older men and women with chronic diseases to take control of their well-being.

Nissan Motor is offering voluntary separation packages to many of its older U.S. workers as it tries to restructure amid flagging sales, reports the Associated Press . The offers are being made to factory and white-collar employees older than 52. "To adapt to current business needs and improve efficiencies, Nissan will offer voluntary separation packages to eligible U.S.-based employees," stated the automaker. The offers will be in the United States only, according to Nissan spokesperson Lloryn Love-Carter. She added that eligible workers will be notified by Jan. 31 and would leave later this year — but not all applications will be approved.

Alzheimer's San Diego has initiated a free program to train people who interact with the community to identify dementia symptoms and help sufferers access assistive services, reports the San Diego Union Tribune . The group teamed with Alzheimer's Orange County to develop the Dementia Gatekeepers program through a federal grant from the Administration for Community Living. The aim is to boost referrals to both nonprofits across the San Diego and Orange County areas. Alzheimer's San Diego Education Director Amy Abrams said the effort is focused on non-traditional gatekeepers like bankers, restaurant servers, and grocery clerks. "We have a real challenge as an organization . . . in trying to reach people with dementia who live alone or don't have a family member or some other care partner who can reach out to our organization directly," she explained. Trainees learn to spot possible symptoms of cognitive decline and communication skills for someone with dementia, and then ask the person if they can direct them to local resources, and submit their contact information online. A social worker from Alzheimer's San Diego will then reach out to help with accessibility.

In Snohomish County, Wash., Martha Lake Elementary School students have donated over 478 night lights for South County Fire crews to help prevent falls in older adults, reports My Edmonds News . This marks the fourth year the Martha Lake Parent-Teacher Association has hosted this collection under the Shine A Light to Prevent Falls program. Students also wrote notes or colored pictures to accompany each night light. Most 911 calls for older adults in southwest Snohomish County involve falls, which are mostly home-based and preventable. South County Fire also performs home visits for older adults and their relatives to identify ways to improve safety.

The U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS) wants to raise awareness of the availability of a new U.S. Tax Return for Seniors with larger print and a standard deduction chart in the hope of making it more accessible to older Americans, reports TAPInto.net . Taxpayers 65 or older can use Form 1040-SR, which when printed boasts larger font and better readability. Taxpayers who electronically file Form 1040-SR may note the change when they print their return, and over 90 percent of taxpayers currently use tax software to prepare and file their return. Taxpayers born before Jan. 2, 1955, can file Form 1040-SR whether they are employed, unemployed, or retired. The form allows income disclosures from other sources seniors often have, like investment income; Social Security; and distributions from qualified retirement plans, annuities, or similar deferred-payment arrangements. Qualifying taxpayers can use Form 1040-SR whether they intend to itemize or opt for the standard deduction.

A study in Advanced Science details how ultrasound brain stimulation can improve symptoms of Alzheimer's disease, reports the Daily Express . The NeuroPulse therapy will debut in Britain this year, using Transcranial Pulse Stimulation (TPS) technology to penetrate up to eight centimeters into brain tissue. Researchers showed that short intervals of TPS to specific areas can be applied safely without overheating the brain tissue. Tests on a cohort with suspected Alzheimer's found that NeuroPulse maintained cognitive abilities, while cognitive improvements were demonstrated to persist for at least three months after therapy. Furthermore, subjective assessment of memory performance and verbal communication by both subjects and their close relatives implied substantial improvement. "NeuroPulse activates viable neurons to stimulate the regeneration of diseased brain functions," the study's authors said. "This enables a controlled change within a specific brain region without unwanted change in other areas. Clearly defining which brain areas are affected by the stimulation and which are not is an important advance for clinical application and neuroscientific research."