New Jersey Institute for Successful Aging
How close is a cure for Alzheimer’s disease?
On average, every hour of every passing day sees another 50 Americans diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease and with the aging baby boom generation now approaching retirement age, the Alzheimer’s Association estimates that by midcentury there will be a million new cases of the disease each year. As the number of people with Alzheimer’s increases, few people, in this country will be untouched by this terrible disease that gradually robs its victims of memory, reason, judgment and the ability to dress, groom, toilet, talk, eat or walk. Alzheimer’s extracts a horrible toll not only on its victims, but also on their families. In New Jersey alone, more than 290,000 family members, friends and neighbors provided unpaid care to a person with Alzheimer’s disease.
At this time, a cure still remains beyond our grasp, but with each passing year, we move closer to the time when we will have the means to save millions of lives from Alzheimer’s disease. Here at the New Jersey Institute for Successful Aging (NJISA), researchers are making important discoveries into the origins of Alzheimer’s and are on the forefront in developing exciting new therapeutic approaches for those with the disease. So, I’m confident that in the not-toodistant future we will be able to say that we have both the means to prevent and to successfully treat Alzheimer’s disease. Until that time, however, much work remains. There are exciting new investigational drugs on the horizon, but progress toward new and better treatment options is slowed by a lack of research volunteers. If you or a family member has been touched by Alzheimer's disease, I encourage you to consider a clinical research study. It allows you to personally make a difference in the fight against this disease and to make a difference for the future.
A clinical research study tests new treatments or new ways of using existing treatments. Participants in clinical trials receive close medical supervision because even the slightest change could be an important indication of the effectiveness of the medication or treatment being tested. At the NJISA, our Clinical Trials Program is currently enrolling qualified New Jersey residents in studies that provide patients with access to new and innovative treatment options for Alzheimer’s disease. The Clinical Trials Program enables patients and their family members to make a difference for themselves and for the future of people who may suffer with Alzheimer’s. More information about the Clinical Trials Program at the NJISA is available by calling (856) 566-6003.
Not that many years ago, individuals diagnosed with cancer had little hope of recovery or survival. Thanks to thousands of clinical trial volunteers, we now have many effective therapies for combating many forms of cancer. The National Cancer Institute estimates that there are now more than 11 million cancer survivors in America. That’s triple the number we had as recently as 1970. With your help, we can make the same progress against Alzheimer’s.
November is Alzheimer’s disease awareness month. What better time to volunteer to join the fight? Together we can make a difference!
Originally published in The University Doctor's MedicaLink- 10/09
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