Cure Alzheimer's Fund: Targeting Breakthrough Research

Alzheimer’s costs to hit $2 trillion this decade

Wednesday, 17 February 2010 12:54

From Cure Alzheimer's Fund President & CEO, Tim Armour:

I’ve been talking about the “cost of Alzheimer’s” for years, but we just released our new numbers and the statistics are shocking.

Over the next 10 years, we will spend $2 trillion on Alzheimer’s care.

Alzheimer’s costs the federal government over $100 billion per year, but as the baby boomer generation ages, the costs of health care are going to increase at an even faster pace. We can’t sustain this, Alzheimer’s alone will single-handedly bankrupt Medicare and Medicaid if we don’t act.

That’s why we must find a cure for Alzheimer’s now. We need the federal government to make a serious investment in research so our loved ones -- and our nation’s health care system -- will not suffer the consequences.

That is why I’m asking each and every one of you to sign our petition telling Congress to cure Alzheimer’s now.

http://salsa.wiredforchange.com/o/5850/t/5223/petition.jsp?petition_KEY=755

These numbers are truly alarming, reminding us that we must cure Alzheimer's now not only to address the obvious looming economic disaster, but also to bring real hope and relief to those already suffering from the disease. That’s why we founded the Cure Alzheimer's Fund. We have a roadmap to a cure -- we are the only ones -- we just need to fund it.

With a federal investment of $5 billion a year for the next decade, our country can capitalize on current research, including Cure Alzheimer’s Fund’s successful efforts to identify and characterize all the genes related to Alzheimer’s, bringing us that much closer to curing this devastating disease -- that’s a lot less than the $2 trillion price of inaction.

Another American gets Alzheimer’s every 70 seconds, yet our government spends very little on research. We need a long-term investment or our health care system -- and the American people -- will continue to suffer.

Lend your voice to our cause and help us cure Alzheimer’s once and for all.

As Number of Alzheimer’s Cases Increases, Federal Funding Continues to Decrease

Written by Katie Barr Wednesday, 10 February 2010 13:50

A Letter from Cure Alzheimer's Fund President & CEO, Tim Armour:

For 5 years now, we’ve been saying the same thing – with increased federal funding, we will find a cure for Alzheimer’s.

We have urged the federal government to make a national commitment to increase research funding and in the Senate’s recent appropriations bill, we are finally seeing the beginnings of such a commitment.

In light of the growing burden that Alzheimer's disease is placing on society, the Committee believes greater resources are clearly warranted. In particular, the Committee strongly urges the NIA (National Institute of Aging) to devote more funding to clinical studies, including studies of individuals who are genetically predisposed to develop early-onset Alzheimer's disease, and renewal of the Alzheimer Disease Neuroimaging Initiative, including biomarker development studies.

This is encouraging language from the Senate, but we need Washington to do more to stop this immense crisis. According to a startling new report released by the University of Rochester, federal funding for Alzheimer’s research is actively on a steady decline. This must be reversed.

That’s why I’m asking all of you to speak up and remind our members of Congress that we need to cure Alzheimer’s now.

Please click on the link below to send a message to your elected officials and tell them you support increased federal funding for Alzheimer’s research:

http://salsa.wiredforchange.com/o/5850/t/5153/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=3111

Did you know that in 2010, 17% of the combined Medicare and Medicaid expenses – a staggering $186 billion – will go to Alzheimer's care? And if we don’t invest in finding a cure today, the financial burden on our Medicare and Medicaid systems will only continue to increase.

What we do right now is critical. Let’s join together and cure this disease – not only because no one should face the prospect of losing a lifetime of memories, but, because the health of our entire health care system depends on it.

Thank you for everything you do,

Tim Armour

President & CEO, Cure Alzheimer’s Fund

Running 4 Answers

Written by Katie Barr Monday, 01 February 2010 09:48

By Carolyn Mastrangelo

The saddest part is that my story isn’t unique. Many who read this will have similar ones to tell. Noticing that my mom wasn’t quite right was a scary revelation. Realizing that it was happening at the age of 55 was terrifying. She is a wife, mother, daughter, sister, friend -- roles that she taught me how to do well. She was an avid reader and trivia buff. She was a registered nurse at a nursing home for 22 years, a job she enjoyed tremendously. She has lived in one now for 5 years. She is almost 66 years old.

Having lost my mother-in-law to breast cancer, I knew there were many ways to donate -- many ways to DO SOMETHING. As a runner, I found races that support breast cancer research. I looked for races to support my mom, but, for a disease that affects 35 million and continues to afflict another American every 70 seconds, I was shocked to find not one race benefitting Alzheimer’s.

The disease is devastating to watch; however there was nothing to do but watch.

As a personal trainer, I believe in change -- that things can be different than they are now. I decided to change the lack of races. I reached out to my friend and fellow fitness enthusiast, Barbara Geiger, and asked if she would be interested in helping me put something together. A race was born.

The name of the race started with Melissa Etheridge’s song in reference to breast cancer, “I Run For Life.” A song I love, we looked at the lyrics to spark some ideas and found the line, “running for answers.” The second we read that line, we knew we had found a name for our race.

We lack answers. They are lacking in the research and they are lacking in our daily lives. How often did I hope that the answer to the question, “Mom, do you know who I am?” would produce the right answer -- or even an answer.

Cure Alzheimer’s Fund is exactly the type of organization I was looking for. Their singular focus on research is what we need.

This experience is exciting. Daunting. Beyond rewarding. I’m not just watching my mom in a nursing home. We are doing something. It alone will not solve the problem, but it is a step in the right direction.

This race offers the opportunity for YOU to do something, too. Run. Walk. Donate. Sponsor.

Join us.

Carolyn is one of the race organizers of "Running 4 Answers," a 4-mile race and 1.5-mile walk to benefit Cure Alzheimer's Fund. For more information on "Running 4 Answers," visit http://www.running4answers.org