Two stories on 60 Minutes that got me thinking [View all]
The first, the lingering effects of Covid, they profiled a personal trainer, a marathon runner, healthy individuals.
And I was reminded that often young healthy people (men, mostly) die on the spot after a heart attack, One explanation has been that a strong young heart is struck more deadly than older one. So I was wondering whether the same could be for these healthy, active women who cannot shake the lingering effects of Covid.
Not sure how well I explain it. Vague to me, too.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/covid-long-haulers-60-minutes-2020-11-22/
The last story was about "Project 90+" where researchers follow old people physically and mentally.
A lot about Alzheimer's and the amyloid clusters. Some who had dementia but their autopsied brains were clear of the clusters, others who did not appear to have dementia did.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/long-life-retirement-community-60-minutes-2020-11-22/
And, really, it made me mad. The presence of amyloid clusters was never proved to be the cause of Alzheimer's. At most there was a point of association, not causation. Not even that. As this report clearly (to me) demonstrated, there is no consistent connection between the amyloid plaques and Alzheimer's. Yet, pharmaceuticals have spent millions on study after study with agents that prevent the formation of amyloid plaques with nothing to show.
Or, if the treatment showed that it helped only, say, 10%, it stopped. Why, I have wondered. Why not look at these 10% as a subset and concentrate on this group. But, of course, this will mean no "blockbuster."
I have often thought that Alzheimer's is a symptom with several causes and pathophysiologal paths. And, indeed, one of the researchers hinted to this.
As an aside, who wants to live to 102 or 103? And what effect would this have on our society, on our economy?
(Well, I may change my mind when I am 99 years old..)
End of rant
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