President's Message
The Real News in Alzheimer's Prevention
Dear John,
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On October 26, I gave the keynote address to our attendees at this year’s Brain Longevity Therapy Training in Scottsdale, AZ. Thanks to Kirti Khalsa, our delightful CEO and her remarkable staff, the program was a huge success. I also want to thank the great group of participants for the rousing standing ovation. I appreciate all of you for carrying our work forward.
My talk was, “What’s New in Alzheimer’s Prevention? ”
You’ll probably laugh at what I told them was new: “NOTHING.”
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How can I say that? Well, actually it’s true. All the latest research and news flashes from the world of Alzheimer’s prevention simply echo what we’ve been saying and doing for 27 years. Even one of our grand presenters, Miia Kivipelto, M.D., Ph.D., the principal investigator of the world-renowned FINGER study acknowledged that.
After all, her monumental studies are based in large measure on our work at ARPF.
Now a new article entitled, People At Risk of Alzheimer’s May Improve Brain Function with Individualized Treatment, by Richard Issacson, M.D. of Cornell University School of Medicine’s Alzheimer’s Prevention Clinic describes how he’s utilizing similar ideas to take this work to the next level.
When I read the article, I immediately emailed Dr. Issacson and thanked him for his work. He acknowledged me back as being “the first person to present the concept of prevention.” So we’re grateful to him for continuing down the path and being on our Scientific Advisory Council. Our cutting-edge research continues, especially in the realm of Yoga, Meditation and Alzheimer’s Prevention.
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Recap: 2019 Brain Longevity® Therapy Training and Symposium
October 24-27, 2019 in Scottsdale, AZ
We are filled with gratitude that the 2019 Brain Longevity Therapy Training and Symposium was such a vibrant success. From our renowned board of speakers to our receptive and kind graduates, #BLTT19 was an event that we will remember dearly.
The affable Dr. Chris Walling led the training with ARPF CEO Kirti Khalsa at his side. Dr. Walling’s upbeat energy filled the room and participants mirrored the excitement that our research has brought forward. His lectures featured Applied Yoga Research in Alzheimer’s Prevention, the Psychology of Longevity, and Motivational Techniques for Creating Behavioral Change.
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Kirti led Module 1 participants in Kirtan Kriya yoga meditation. This is the most effective way to naturally improve your memory. This simple and effective meditation is important for caregivers and patients alike as it aides one’s ability to stay sharp and healthy. Studies show this is the best known way to protect and strengthen your brain against dementia. Kirtan Kriya can be easily applied in any profession. #BLTT19 saw caregivers, yoga therapists, life coaches, nurses, doctors, nutritionists, and more practice this technique brilliantly. We were also pleased to see the collaboration and networking among our diverse group of participants.
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Continued: Brain Longevity Symposium |
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Following the Therapy Training was our first annual Brain Longevity Symposium. This was designed to give past graduates more opportunities to learn and grow within a supportive network. We could not be more pleased with how it unfolded. “It was well balanced,
well organized, and representative of multiple disciplines. Thoroughly enjoyed.”
– 2019 Symposium Participant.
The speakers were invigorating and encouraging. Dr. Miia Kivipelto, Dr. Kim Innes, Dr. Christian Habeck, Dr. Lori Fazzio, Mahan Kim Kaur, Carol Hahn and ARPF President Dr. Dharma shared the latest research, trials, and tools for preventing Alzheimer’s disease. A few topics covered were: Early Memory Loss, Healing the Healer, Yoga Therapy in Healthcare, and Building Your Brain.
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In May 2019, the World Health Organization’s Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said, “In the next 30 years, the number of people with dementia is expected to triple. We need to do everything we can to reduce our risk of dementia. The scientific evidence gathered for these Guidelines confirm what we have suspected for some time, that what is good for our heart, is also good for our brain.”* This is exactly the message that our Brain Longevity Specialists are now bringing in our communities and we couldn’t be happier.
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Outreach and Education Update:
ARPF Partners with Community Health Providers in Southern Arizona
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On September 29th, ARPF was the featured speaker and educator at the Cochise County Worksite Wellness Conference, partnering with multiple organizations from across Southern Arizona, such as Healthy Arizona Worksites, Canyon Vista Medical Center, Benson Hospital, Chiricahua Community Health Centers, Southeastern Arizona Behavioral Health Services, Inc. and County of Cochise, among others.
The theme of the conference was “Moving the Wheels Towards a Healthier Workplace.” Over fifty employees from partner organizations, community businesses, and health care providers gathered to learn more about how the Healthy Arizona Worksite Program could benefit both the health and the productivity of their employees. Simply put, the healthier and happier the workplace, the better end results for both employees and business output.
ARPF representative Melinda Zeimantz, NP, who achieved her ARPF Brain Longevity Specialist Certificate in 2018, shared an overview of the 4 Pillars of Alzheimer’s Prevention in the context of ‘Brain Health in the Workplace’ and ARPF staff held 15 memory screenings to interested individuals. In addition, ARPF discussed #BLTT19 as a way to educate healthcare providers within these organizations.
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Research Update
New Research by SAC Member Dr. Isaacson Confirms Lifestyle Measures Reduce Risk of Alzheimer’s
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Nearly 6 million people in the United States are suffering with Alzheimer’s disease. Researchers now acknowledge that brain changes leading to the disease occur years before the disease itself manifests. The research aims to assess whether individualized protocols can hinder negative brain changes associated with the eventual development of Alzheimer’s disease.
Enrolled participants were given pharmacological approaches (many of which included vitamins/ supplements), non-pharmacological approaches such as exercise, nutrition, sleep, cognitive training, and stress management, as well as genetic counseling.
The results are unmistakable. After the final cognitive tests, the participants had notable, higher cognitive function. The prevention subjects scored a 6.25 percent overall increase in cognition, while the early treatment group scored an 8.7 percent overall increase.
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Our Donors
July to September, 2019
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Your ARPF is honored to be a part of Ever Loved’s memorial website. This is a beautiful way to celebrate a loved one’s life in an elegant, community-oriented memorial fund. Ever Loved makes funeral planning and connecting with providers, friends, and family as simple as possible.
If you would like to leave a legacy for your loved one through supporting ARPF research and initiatives, please visit our page. We are so thankful to those who wish to include ARPF during such a sensitive time. We will continue to make strides in Alzheimer’s prevention in memory of all those who have been afflicted by dementia. We are forever grateful.
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WORKPLACE CAMPAIGNS
The ARPF is a proud participant in the following workplace campaigns:
- Aetna Foundation
- Citigroup
- Dressbarn
- Roll Giving
- and many more
ARPF ACCEPTS IRA CHARITABLE ROLLOVER
Please contact ARPF’s Vice President Randy Brooks at 520-749-8374 or [email protected].
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LEAVE A LEGACY:
Remember Us in Your Will
If you would like to receive information on how you can leave a legacy to support the Alzheimer’s Research and Prevention Foundation’s critical research initiatives, or to support one of our many other programs, please contact ARPF’s Vice President Randy Brooks at 520-749-8374 or by email.
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ARPF LEGACY SOCIETY
Gold Level
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Mrs. Ethel A. Hoff
- Dr. and Mrs. Dharma Singh Khalsa
- Ms. Barbara Joan Davis
Silver Level
- Mr. Carl G. Crawford
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Union Congregational Church
Bronze Level
- Mr. and Mrs. Randy Brooks
- Ms. Mary Gilbert
- Mr. Edward T. Haats
- Mrs. Marjorie Olmstead
- Shaol and Evelyn Pozez Endowment Fund
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Officers and Board Members
PRESIDENT/MEDICAL DIRECTOR - Dharma Singh Khalsa, M.D.
VICE PRESIDENT - Randal Brooks, MA, LPC
TREASURER - Bert Beatty, MHA
SECRETARY - Kirti K. Khalsa
MEMBERS - Fletcher Wilkins, BS
-Edward Gellert, BSM
Executive Staff
CHAIR OF EDUCATION ADVISORY COMMITTEE - Chris Walling, PsyD, MBA, C-IAYT
SENIOR ADVISOR - Simran S. Stuelpnagel
NEWSLETTER EDITOR - Chelsea Pyne
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Medical and Scientific Advisory Council
CHIEF SCIENCE OFFICER
George Perry, Ph.D., Professor of Biology & Chemistry, Chief Scientist, Brain Health Consortium University of Texas at San Antonio, TX
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Daniel Amen, M.D., Director of the Amen Clinics, Costa Mesa, CA
Ma Gloria Borras-Boneu, M.D., GRD Health Institute - Barcelona, Spain
Hiroko Dodge, Ph.D., Kevreson Research Professor of Neurology University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Oregon Health & Science University
Nancy Emerson Lombardo, Ph.D., Adjunct Research Assistant Professor of Neurology Boston University, School of Medicine, Alzheimer’s Disease Center, Boston, MA
Elissa Epel, Ph.D., Professor of Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco, CA
Karen E. Innes, MSPH, Ph.D.,Professor of Epidemiology, Western Virginia University School of Public Health, Morgantown, WV
Richard S. Isaacson, M.D., Director, Alzheimer’s Prevention Clinic Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY
Sat Bir S. Khalsa, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Brigham and Women’s Hospital – Boston, MA
Tejinder Kaur Khalsa, M.D., M.S., FRCP, Senior Associate Consultant, General Internal Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN
Miia Kivipelto, M.D., Ph.D., Aging Research Center and Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, Karolinska Institute - Stockholm, Sweden
Karen Koffler, M.D., Medical Director of the Osher Center for Integrative Medicine at University of Miami, FL
Helen Lavretsky, M.D., M.S., Professor, Department of Psychiatry, UCLA Semel Institute and Resnick Neuropsychiatric Hospital- Los Angeles, CA
Lisa Mosconi, Ph.D., Associate Director, Alzheimer’s Prevention Clinic Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY
Andrew B. Newberg, M.D., Director, Marcus Institute of Integrative Health –Myrna Brind Center Jefferson University Hospital, Philadelphia, PA
Arti Prasad, M.D., FACP, Chief of Medicine, Hennepin Medical Ctr Professor/Vice Chair of Medicine, University of Minnesota Minneapolis, MN
Kateřina Sheardová, M.D., Head of the Memory Center ICRC St. Anne´s University Hospital Brno, Czech Republic
Michelle Sierpina, Ph.D., Founding Director, UTMB Osher Institute for Lifelong Learning University of Texas Medical Branch Galveston, TX
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