CNN posted a story today highlighting a new US government web site addressing a new strategy to address Alzheimer’s Disease.

It’s an exceptional moment in the struggle to find effective treatments for Alzheimer’s disease, says one expert. Why? Take a look at these disturbing Alzheimer’s statistics projected for 2050:
• 11 million additional people will have the condition in the United States
• 115.4 million will have it worldwide, compared to the current figure of about 35.6 million
• $1.1 trillion will be spent in the U.S. on caregiving costs, compared with $200 billion this year.
Staring in the face of these sobering numbers, the Obama administration offered details Tuesday of how it plans to take on this mysterious disease that destroys the brain.

The new strategy supports a $7.9 million dollar study on an insulin nasal spray treatment. Separately, researchers will work on the first-ever Alzheimer’s prevention trial in people with a genetic predisposition to develop the condition. The strategy also offers solutions for collaborating across federal and state agencies and for informing the public through a one-stop website, www.alzheimers.gov

Read the entire story here: http://bit.ly/IW4QEA

The University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA), with support provided by the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service, is very pleased to announce the initiation of a new small-grants research program focused on the roles that the WIC program is playing and can play in improving nutrition in pre-conceptional and peri-conceptional periods.

The grants will be for two years each, up to $72,000, and require a partnership of an academic/research organization and a state or local WIC program (either can be the primary applicant).  They aniticipate that these small grants will leverage long-term research partnerships and additional funding, as well as a collaborative reserach network of investigators.

The first round of applications is due June 8, 2012 (letters of intent May 25, 2012) and the second round will be approximately one year later.

For more information, click here: http://bit.ly/JlRJiO

The Office of Minority Health, through the CHAT Program, seeks to improve the HIV/AIDS health outcomes of high risk minority youth by supporting community-based efforts to increase HIV/AIDS prevention/education efforts, testing, counseling and referrals.

The CHAT Program will integrate HIV testing, peer educators/lay health workers, counseling and linkages, and social media and technology wide-ranging community model to reduce the risk of infection in high prevalence communities.  This project will also encourage partnerships among traditional service providers targeting high risk adolescents, such as substance abuse prevention centers for youth; foster care agencies working with youth; youth serving organizations; youth runaway shelters; and peer-to-peer education programs.

Applications are due June 8, 2012

For more information, visit: http://bit.ly/J6OYmi

Bringing together the nation’s leading research institutions, The Weight of the Nation is a presentation of HBO and the Institute of Medicine (IOM), in association with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and in partnership with the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation and Kaiser Permanente.

The centerpiece of The Weight of the Nation campaign is the four-part documentary series, each featuring case studies, interviews with our nation’s leading experts, and individuals and their families struggling with obesity. Parts 1 and 2 of the Documentary air on HBO today, May 14. Parts 3 & 4 air on May 15, 2012.

For more information and to watch the trailer:  http://bit.ly/J3ZlYs

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention continues to recommend, as its first recommendation, that people in the path of a tornado find a shelter or a tornado-safe room. The safest place in the home is the interior part of a basement. If possible, get under something sturdy such as a heavy table or workbench. If outdoors, lie down in a gully or ditch.  Head injuries are common   causes of death during tornadoes, and individuals may decide to use helmets to protect their heads. However, because the time to react may be very short, people who choose to use helmets should know where they are and have them ready. Helmets should not be considered an alternative to seeking appropriate shelther considered just one part of their overall home tornado preparedness kit.

For more information:  http://bit.ly/K9KcyR [CDC Press Release, May 3, 2102]

The U.S. Department of Agriculture recently announced a series of prevention-based policy measures that will better protect consumers from foodborne illness in meat and poultry products. These measures will significantly improve the ability of both plants and USDA to trace contaminated food materials in the supply chain, to act against contaminated products sooner, and to establish the effectiveness of food safety systems.

More information:  http://1.usa.gov/KlfQxV  [USDA News Release, May 2, 2012]

Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius recently announced the availability of funding for the construction and renovation of school-based health centers. These new investments, totaling up to $75 million, are part of the School-Based Health Center Capital (SBHCC) Program, which was created by the Affordable Care Act.

School-based health centers are an important component of the nation’s health care safety net. The centers enable children with acute or chronic illnesses to attend school as well as help to improve the overall health and wellness of children and adolescents through health screenings, health promotion and disease prevention activities.

Read more: http://1.usa.gov/J4kEbV  [HHS Press Release, May 9, 2012]

Public Health Reports has published a special supplementary issue: Innovations in Oral Health Care for People Living with HIV/AIDS.  The issue presents research from the Special Projects of National Significance Innovations in Oral Health Care Initiative, funded by the Health Resources and Services Administration’s HIV/AIDS Bureau.

Access the entire issue for no-cost at: http://www.publichealthreports.org/issuecontents.cfm?Volume=127&Issue=8

A no-cost webinar discussing innovative approaches to oral health care for those with HIV/AIDS will be held on May 22 at 1pm EST.  Registration required: http://bit.ly/JBd87k

The National Library of Medicine is now offering mobile versions of many of its most popular websites.  Some are mobile websites, available through a web browser, and some are downloadable apps. See a gallery of mobile apps and sites here: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/mobile/index.html

A sampling of NLM mobile products:

MedlinePlus: Authoritative consumer health information from MedlinePlus.gov in a mobile-optimized Web site that includes summaries for over 800 diseases, conditions and wellness topics as well as the latest health news, an illustrated medical encyclopedia, and information on prescription and over-the-counter medications. Available via the Web browser of any mobile device.

AIDSInfo: The latest federally approved HIV/AIDS medical practice guidelines, HIV treatment and prevention clinical trials, and other research information.

LactMed: Find information about maternal and infant drug levels, possible effects on lactation and on breastfed infants, and alternative drugs to consider.

WISER: Stand-alone application (or downloadable application) to assist emergency responders in hazardous materials incidents.

Drug Information Portal: A mobile interface to information for over 31,000 drugs. Names, usage, and structures are displayed, as well as search links to key NLM and government sites, using their mobile version when available.

Want even more no-cost, reliable health apps? Browse USA.gov’s Gallery of Mobile Applications: http://apps.usa.gov/

Prevent Blindness is hosting a summit on eye health on June 22, 2012 in Washington, DC.

Topics covered at the Summit include:

• Integrating Vision into Public Health Programs
• Economic Impact of Vision Problems
• National Plan for Eye and Vision Research

Registration is no-cost but limited: http://bit.ly/KOoZfg