Health Highlights: Feb. 21, 2020

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Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments, compiled by the editors of HealthDay:

Alzheimer’s Gene Mapping Project Proposed in New York State

A proposed project to map the genes of 1 million people in New York living with or at-risk for Alzheimer’s disease was announced Friday by Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

He said the five years of data collected by the Curing Alzheimer’s Health Consortium initiative at the State University of New York would help researchers working to slow the progression of Alzheimer’s, the Associated Press reported.

The state will seek proposals for private providers to work with SUNY, other hospitals and non-profit higher education research institutions on the project, Cuomo said.

There is no cure for Alzheimer’s disease, which affects more than 5 million people in the United States. Current drugs only temporarily reduce symptoms, the AP reported.

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Dietitian-Led Behavioral Therapy May Help Seniors Lose Weight

Dietitian-led intensive behavioral therapy may help obese seniors lose weight, a new study suggests.

Intensive behavioral therapy for obesity (IBTO) features individualized counseling sessions to help people change their eating and exercise habits, CNN reported.

The East Carolina University study of nearly 2,100 obese women, aged 65 and older, found that after three years, those who received IBTO lost an average of nearly three pounds, while those who didn’t receive IBTO gained an average of half a pound.

Those who received IBTO also had an average A1C decline of nearly 0.2, which previous research suggests is associated with an up to 10% decrease in death risk, CNN reported.

A1C is a blood test for prediabetes and type 2 diabetes.

IBTO is provided and reimbursed for Medicare B recipients, who would be 65 or older, the study authors noted.

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