Photo competition Winners

It is with great pleasure that the CDAI announced the winners of the 2014 "HEALTHY AGING" Photo Competition. Our 6 judges had a hard task of choosing among more than 20 great entries, but they certainly did a good job, as you can see below..

Thanks for everybody who submitted pictures - we had colleagues from across the JHU community sending their contributions on how they see healthy aging around the world.

And cheers to our winners, who are not enjoying their new iPad (1st prize) and an e-reader (2nd prize)! 

Have you got a picture that translates healthy and fulfilling aging? Do you want to win an iPad? Get ready for the next Healthy Aging Photo Competition in 2015! With the help of our sponsors, the JHU Alumni Association and the JHSPH Student Assembly, we in the CDAI are already looking forward to it....

Mental Health Comorbidities of Diabetes

The CDAI has been slow on blog posts recently, but that's because we are all working on our research.. NOT on vacation the way we would like to be. Although we are not blogging much, we are definitely keeping in touch with what's new and interesting on the field of chronic diseases and aging.

 So it is that today JAMA brings a short review on a topic close to CDAIers hearts - Mental Health Comorbidities of Diabetes. Wanna know more about it? The article is free! So check it out here.


Can't find us at the school but want to contact us? Well, we haven't been getting out of our air-conditioned offices very often, lately. So, either you can find us during coffee break at the JHSPH café or just email us at:  cdai-jhsph@gmail.com

CDAI Preparing Pictures to Submit for Judges' Appreciation

We are delighted to announce that we have received the most amazing submissions to our photo competition. These wonderful pictures illustrate various aspects of Healthy Aging from multiple parts of the world.

Although aging is often considered a process of the elderly, our competitors have interpreted this phenomenon as what it really is - a continuum through life - and have depicted persons of various ages undergoing life transitions and transformations. They have send pictures of strangers and of their loved ones, pictures of home and of faraway lands.

Unfortunately, for now, this is all we can share. We cannot tell any more, since the pictures - and their stories - are now being anonymyzed and being sent to our panel of judges, for their appreciation. It will be a really tough task, to score and choose among such great submissions. We are thankful for our panel of judges for helping us in this hard selection!

Stay tuned for more updates and SAVE THE DATE! On May 9th at 4pm we will announce the winners during a photo showcase and reception in the JHSPH Gallery (in front of the wall of wonder). All are welcome to attend!

When is it time to stop using antidepressants?

In today's New York Times, Dr. Doris Iarovici, a psychiatrist from Duke University, narrates cases of young college students who are exposed to long-term pharmaceutical treatments for depression, sometimes spanning their entire college trajectory. Her discussion of the relationship between life transitions and long-term use of mental health pharmaceutical treatments illustrates and contributes to the larger question of over-medicalization of mental health conditions and their intersection with personal trajectories and experiences. In addition, Dr. Iarovici also raises important questions about the role of comorbid disorders and behaviors (drug/alcohol addiction, undiagnosed eating disorders, among others), and the need for a better understanding of how psychiatric medicines might affect brain development and mental health, extending into young adulthood and possibly beyond.

The growing phenomenon of over-medicalization and pharmaceuticalization of health is not restricted to mental health problems, in that it affects multiple other clinical conditions as well. Young individuals going through significant life transitions, however, are especially vulnerable to this phenomenon, and they may face greater risks from undiscriminated and long-term pharmaceutical use.

To read the NYT story, follow the link here.

Global Spending on Hepatitis C Drugs Expected to Skyrocket: New Drugs Released for as much as $1,000 per Pill

Although chronic diseases are often seen as a synonym of non-communicable conditions, infections such as HIV and HCV are progressively being recognized as chronic diseases as well. The treatment of these chronic viral infections poses similar challenges to other "traditional" NCDs, such as the need for sustainable, affordable, accessible, safe and efficient regimens.

In the past few days, multiple organizations have sounded the alarm for skyrocketing costs from anti-HCV treatment in the US and globally. ExpressScripts, the largest pharmacy benefit management organization in the United States, has issued a report expecting costs from anti-HCV to grow 1,800 percent by 2016. A few drugs - namely the new direct-acting antivirals sofosbuvir (brand name Sovaldi) and simprevir (trade name Olysio) - are responsible for most of the cost. According to a report by Doctors Without Borders/MSF,  "Sofosbuvir has been released in the US with a price tag of US$84,000 for 12 weeks’ treatment, which equates to $1,000 per pill". 

The costs of these drugs in the global market are also sky-high: the MSF report states that "Simeprevir costs around $45,000 for 12 weeks’ treatment in Russia and sofosbuvir could be priced as much as $5,000 in Thailand". The World Health Organization (WHO), together with UNITAID, alerted for the fact that, due to high costs, HCV treatments are unlikely to be available in low- and middle-income countries, where a great proportion of HCV infections are believed to be concentrated, although most of them are undiagnosed.

HCV, or the chronic infection by the Hepatitis-C virus, can persist for decades before producing symptoms. If left untreated, however, the infection may lead to cirrhosis, liver cancer and liver failure. The WHO has recently published new guidelines for the treatment of this disease, which include the new drugs and can be found here.

Video: how Google Glass may help persons living with Parkison's Disease

Researchers at Newcastle University, UK are investigating how Google Glass could be used to increase autonomy and improve quality of life of patients with Parkinson's disease.

So far, the device will be used to issue reminders for patients to take their medication and  to contact relatives in the event of an emergency (such as a fall), and especially to try to prevent 'freezing' episodes. The glass is described to work as a hands-free smartphone, issuing alerts and making calls without requiring patients to deal with a touch-screen, something that can be extremely challenging given the motor impairments caused by Parkinson's.

If successful, this technology will provide an important addition to the management of persons with Parkinson's, a disease that is understood to be the result of both biologic and environmental factors and for which the currently available therapies include pharmaceuticals, surgery, and rehabilitation through physical and speech therapy.

The Daily Telegraph has interviewed the researchers- see a video with the interviews below:

The Long Reach Of Alzheimer’s Disease - Health Affairs Special Issue

On April 1st the Health Affairs journal launched a thematic issue focused on Alzheimer's Disease. 

Alzheimer's is the most common cause of dementia among older people and, according to the journal, it affects about 5 million Americans and 35.6 million people around the globe. This yet incurable  disease produces a very high burden on families and caregivers, and also on the health system. It is estimated that even the lower estimate of health expenditures associated with Alzheimer's in the USA is greater than the direct treatment costs of cancer or heart disease.

The  articles in Health Affairs explore the many subjects raised by Alzheimer’s disease. In their description, "the optimal care patients receive and the testing of new models, international comparisons of how the disease is treated, families’ end-of-life dilemmas, a new public-private research collaboration designed to produce improved treatments, and others".

Here's the link for the Special Issue. Enjoy the read!

*Extended* Healthy Aging Photo Competition

The CDAI proudly announces the EXTENDED deadline for submissions to our 2014 HEALTHY AGING photo competition!

Open to the whole JHU community - students, trainees, faculty and staff - this photo contest aims to  bring together images of positive and fulfilling aging - preventing and mitigating chronic diseases - around the world.

Questions and submissions please email: cdai.jhsph@gmail.com
Rules & regulations are the subject of a previous post - just scroll down :)

Careers in Aging Week

Calling all Chronic Diseases and Aging aficionados - this is CAREERS IN AGING WEEK! 

This event is an annual joint venture between The Gerontological Society of America and its educational branch, the Association for Gerontology in Higher Education. This event is intended to bring greater awareness and visibility to the wide-ranging career opportunities in aging and aging research. Universities and colleges across the world participate by sponsoring events at their schools or in their communities.

What are we doing at Hopkins? The CDAI is carrying out a photographic competition around the theme of HEALTHY AGING and we will give an extra week for submissions! On May 9th we will announce the winners, who will receive a tablet computer (first prize) and an e-reader (second prize).

More activities are coming soon! For questions and more information: cdai.jhsph@gmail.com.

CDAI ANNOUNCES FIRST EDITION OF "HEALTHY AGING" PHOTO CONTEST

On March 10, 2014 the CDAI was happy to launch the first edition of a JHU university-wide photo contest. See the rules and regulations below:

 

2014 CDAI PHOTO COMPETITION

THEME: HEALTHY AGING

“Interpreting and illustrating how people experience aging in positive and fulfilling ways, preventing or overcoming chronic diseases around the world”.

 WHO MAY PARTICIPATE

          - Open to all JHU students and trainees, faculty and staff
 - Multiple submissions are permitted, but only one prize per contestant may be awarded
 - Members of the CDAI and the organizing committee may not participate

DEADLINE

Deadline for submitting entries is 11:59 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST) on April 10, 2014. By submitting an entry, each contestant agrees to the rules of the competition.

WHAT ARE WE LOOKING FOR

We are looking for striking digital images to celebrate and highlight the diverse global perspectives on “healthy aging”, including portraits of the relationship between people and their trajectories of life, aging, and health.

We are especially interested in images that capture the association between “healthy aging” and the prevention of chronic diseases, or mitigating the limitations posed by chronic disease in aging individuals.

Pictures of individuals of any age will be accepted, as long as they are in line with the theme of the competition.

HOW TO ENTER

Pictures should be sent by email to: cdai.jhsph@gmail.com with the subject line “Photo Submission”

-       Contestants must include the following information for each submission:

o   Photographer information:

o   Name, affiliation (school, department) and contact information (email, phone number) of the contestant

o   Photograph information:

o   Location and date where the photography was taken

o   Title of the photograph

o   Brief description of the photograph, what inspired you, and/or how the picture relates to the competition’s theme (max 150 words)

CONDITIONS

-       Photos must be original (i.e., taken by the participant)

-       Photos should not be altered aside from basic enhancements and editing

-       If there is a recognizable face in the picture, this statement must be added to the submission: "For this photo I asked for and received at least verbal consent to be photographed from all persons appearing in the picture."

-       CDAI will not consider entries that contain material that (a) is unsuitable, obscene, defamatory, slanderous or libelous; (b) violates human rights and dignity; or (c) promotes bigotry, racism, hatred or harm against any group or individual or promote discrimination in any regard.

-       Entries that violate the rules of the contest will be disqualified.

-       Entrants may be asked to supplement their submission (such as a paragraph about their photo, the highest resolution version of their photo, for example) anytime during or after the duration of the competition

-       CDAI shall determine winner eligibility in its sole and absolute discretion. All decisions made by the judges are final.

-       The CDAI group reserves the right to adjust any deadline(s) as the result of causes beyond its immediate control.

INFORMATION ON LICENSING AND USE:

By submitting a photograph the participant grants the CDAI a non-exclusive, worldwide, perpetual, royalty-free license to use the photographs on its website, communications and materials in support of our mission. The participant agrees that the CDAI may do so without notifying, seeking permission, or owing any form of compensation to the participant. These conditions will apply to all photographs submitted to the photo contest and shall remain in effect until cancelled in writing by either party or superseded by a subsequent agreement. The participant agrees that his/her name and Hopkins affiliation may be used by the CDAI in connection with the Photo Contest, in promotions and other publications.

JUDGING CRITERIA

Images will be judged on originality, technical excellence, composition, overall impact and artistic merit. The panel of judges will not be aware of the submitter’s identity. The judges are a panel of experts, CDAI members and guests familiar with photography and the topics of chronic diseases and aging.

PRIZES

The first place will be awarded a tablet computer. Second place will be awarder an e-reader.

Finalists will be announced in late April 2014. A showcase of the submitted pictures and winners will be carried out in the JHSPH in late April or early May 2014.

QUESTIONS:

Questions and inquiries about contest rules can be emailed to cdai.jhsph@gmail.com

New Initiative on Chronic Diseases and Aging Launched at JHSPH

On February 26th, 2014 a speaker panel on the Future of Chronic Diseases and Aging marked the launching of the CDAI - Chronic Diseases and Aging Initiative. The event drew a record attendance of 70+ students, post-docs, visiting scholars and faculty.