Motives for telescoping conditions into Alzheimer's disease

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Rita Hayworth's daughter and the Alzheimer's Association

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Motives for telescoping conditions into Alzheimer's disease

Leonard Hayflick Scientist

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157. Why patients with Alzheimer's disease live longer		79	02:42
158. Motives for telescoping conditions into Alzheimer's disease		49	01:42
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The statisticians decided – 10 or 15 years ago, I don't recall with precision – that because Alzheimer's disease was now becoming so important, apparently, that the causes of death on their list, like senile dementia, should be telescoped into Alzheimer's disease as a cause of death, and that did indeed occur, which resulted in a sudden spike in alleged causes of death attributable to Alzheimer's disease. This worked, of course, to the advantage of the Alzheimer's Disease Association, whose work is important, it's useful, it should continue, but, on the downside, it is... they essentially are in a phase where, like most non-profit organisations, a substantial part of their motivation – at least by the leadership – is to maintain their... their leadership and their salaries, which are, if you look at their salaries, enormous. I'm not calling that an evil act, I'm just trying to emphasize why it's necessary – or why the marketing processes are as elaborate as they are – in respect not only to the Alzheimer's Disease Association, but many other foundations and so-called non-profit organizations.

Leonard Hayflick (b. 1928), the recipient of several research prizes and awards, including the 1991 Sandoz Prize for Gerontological Research, is known for his research in cell biology, virus vaccine development, and mycoplasmology. He also has studied the ageing process for more than thirty years. Hayflick is known for discovering that human cells divide for a limited number of times in vitro (refuting the contention by Alexis Carrel that normal body cells are immortal), which is known as the Hayflick limit, as well as developing the first normal human diploid cell strains for studies on human ageing and for research use throughout the world. He also made the first oral polio vaccine produced in a continuously propogated cell strain - work which contributed to significant virus vaccine development.

Title: Motives for telescoping conditions into Alzheimer's disease

Listeners: Christopher Sykes

Christopher Sykes is a London-based television producer and director who has made a number of documentary films for BBC TV, Channel 4 and PBS.

Tags: Alzheimer's Disease Association

Duration: 1 minute, 42 seconds

Date story recorded: July 2011

Date story went live: 08 August 2012