Demand Congress Fund Alzheimer's Research

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Sponsor: Alzheimer's Association

Alzheimer's could affect 13.8 million by 2050. Demand increased funding for research and find a cure today!

Demand Congress Fund Alzheimer's Research

Every 65 seconds someone develops Alzheimer’s disease.

The Alzheimer’s Association estimates that 5.8 million people of all ages have Alzheimer’s disease in the United States, an it is projected to increase to 13.8 million people by 2050. Unless we move quickly to address this crisis and find better treatments for those who have it, Alzheimer’s will increasingly overwhelm our health care system1.

Congress must remain committed to action on this devastating disease. By the latest NIH estimates, we need an extra $289 million for research on Alzheimer’s and related dementias in fiscal year 20222.

This funding helps scientists and doctors understand more about this brain disorder and develop powerful new tools for “seeing” and diagnosing it in people. It brings new ways to help diagnose, treat, and even prevent Alzheimer’s, which is the ultimate goal, after all3.

Alzheimer’s is the sixth leading cause of death for Americans, and in 2017 accounted for an estimated 120,000 deaths4.

Please urge your members of Congress to include a $289 million increase for Alzheimer’s and dementia research at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in the government’s Fiscal Year 2022 budget.

These funds will support additional research into developing innovative treatments and diagnostics that can help delay the onset of symptoms and ultimately cure Alzheimer’s.

Sign the petition below and urge your members of Congress to act now!

More on this issue:

  1. Texas Health and Human Services (1 March 2021), "What is Alzheimer’s Disease? Questions and Answers."
  2. National Institutes of Health (July 2020), "NIH Professional Judgment Budget for Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias for Fiscal Year 2022."
  3. National Institute on Aging (23 May 2017), "Participating in Alzheimer’s Disease Research."
  4. Alzheimer’s Association (2021), "Facts and Figures."

The Petition

To the members of the Senate Appropriations Committee and House Committee on Appropriations,

As an Alzheimer's Association advocate, I am writing to request that you support a $300 million increase for research funding at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) on Alzheimer's disease for fiscal year 2022.

This request is consistent with the Alzheimer's Bypass Budget issued by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). These funds will support additional research into developing innovative treatments and diagnostics that can help delay the onset of symptoms and ultimately cure Alzheimer's. It is critical to provide sufficient resources to implement a smart and strategic National Alzheimer's Plan. Without a continued substantial investment, our commitment to end Alzheimer's disease is simply an empty promise.

Because age is the greatest risk factor for Alzheimer's, the rapidly growing number of older Americans will lead to a corresponding rapid growth in the prevalence of Alzheimer's disease. The number of people aged 65 and older living with Alzheimer's or other dementias could grow from 5.6 million today to 13.8 million by 2050. One in 10 Americans over 65 has Alzheimer's, and the proportion of individuals affected rises with age.

Alzheimer's disease also poses an increasingly dire threat to our nation's fiscal future. We must decisively address this national epidemic. With increasing numbers of Americans affected by this devastating disease and its escalating impact on the federal budget, we simply must allocate resources to overcome this disease.

I demand you allocate a minimum of $289 million for Alzheimer's research in fiscal year 2022.

Sincerely,

DEV MODE ACTIVE. BRAND: ars