Alzheimer’s disease is now the sixth leading cause of death in the United States, according to a recent announcement from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) National Center for Health Statistics. In addition to moving from the seventh leading cause of death to the sixth, the CDC also reported that while deaths from Alzheimer’s disease are rising, mortality related to other chronic conditions like heart disease, stroke and cancer is declining. Today as many as 5.2 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s – a fatal, degenerative disease that has no effective disease-modifying treatments that halt or delay its progression.

With an aging baby boomer population, this escalating epidemic will continue to touch more and more lives. According to the Alzheimer’s Association’s 2008 Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Figures, 480,000 Californians age 65 and older will have Alzheimer’s disease by 2010. Alzheimer’s doesn’t just impact the individual; it impacts entire families, including one million California caregivers who provide 952 million hours of unpaid care valued at $10 billion.
 
While Alzheimer’s affects all populations, the Latino population is one of the fastest growing populations with the disease. Today, 92,000 Latinos in California are living with Alzheimer’s disease and experts predict this population will triple to 276,000 by 2030.  The threat is so pervasive in the Latino community because advancing age is the single greatest risk factor for developing Alzheimer’s disease and Latinos soon will have the greatest life expectancy of all ethnic groups in the United States – increasing to age 87 by 2050.  Additionally, research shows that the Latino community has a high rate of diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease – all factors that may increase the risk for Alzheimer’s. 

Growing evidence suggests that efforts to keep the heart healthy will also keep the brain healthy. Adopting a brain-healthy lifestyle and remaining mentally, socially and physically engaged are important steps to reducing the risk of Alzheimer’s disease. Unfortunately, Hispanics are less likely than non-Hispanic whites to regularly see a physician or community health professional to help monitor and control their health. This lack of regular access to care means poorer overall heath, greater risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease, and a decreased likelihood of early diagnosis. Early diagnosis could allow earlier treatments and interventions that could help to maintain a level of independence longer.

The need for education, information, and supportive services in the Latino community is paramount. Fortunately, the Alzheimer’s Association provides a wealth of resources to assist families. A leader in developing culturally and linguistically appropriate materials about dementia, the Alzheimer’s Association California Southland Chapter has created a Dementia Care Network Model that identifies, creates and sustains dementia specific programs tailored to Spanish-speaking audiences in communities where they are most needed or where existing services are not adequate. These services include a Spanish-language helpline, support groups for Spanish speaking caregivers, care consultation services and workshops specifically developed for and by Latino families. The chapter has also been instrumental in cultivating relationships with local community organizations throughout Los Angeles, expanding resources and providing platforms for information sharing. The Alzheimer’s Association’s web site, www.alz.org, provides a comprehensive portfolio of educational tools and resources in English and Spanish for families affected by Alzheimer’s at every stage of the disease and its 24/7 Helpline, 1-800-272-3900, offers information and counsel from trained bilingual and bicultural professionals.

In addition to funding supportive programs that help families, increased funding for research is also imperative. Alzheimer’s not only takes lives, it has the power to bankrupt Medicare and Medicaid. Despite the fact that researchers are close to finding effective disease-modifying treatments that may slow or halt the disease’s progression,  the National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) budget has been essentially flat for the last several years.  Fortunately, this year, the U.S. House of Representatives is considering a bill that gives a $1.15 billion increase to the NIH.  While this increase is the largest in six years, it is just the first step if we are to bring these treatments to fruition and keep vital research efforts moving forward.   

We must work diligently together to find a cure for future generations, while we work equally as hard to help those living with the disease now.

About the authors:
(Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard is the first Latina in U.S. history appointed to the House Appropriations Committee.  She serves on the Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education where she oversees funding for many important health-related programs and agencies, such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the National Institutes of Health and community health centers.  In this role, she has been an advocate for health research and preventative health programs.  The congresswoman represents the 34th District in Los Angeles, which includes: Bell; Bellflower; Bell Gardens; Boyle Heights; Commerce; Cudahy; Downey; Downtown Los Angeles; Huntington Park; Little Tokyo; Maywood; South Park; Vernon; Walnut Park; and portions of Chinatown, East Los Angeles, Florence, Pico Union, and Westlake.)

(For the last 18 years, Peter Braun has been the President and CEO of the Alzheimer’s Association, California Southland Chapter. Under his leadership, the Association staff has grown from two people in a single office, to a staff of nearly 75 with five offices serving Los Angeles, San Bernardino and Riverside counties. The chapter now raises $10 million annually and reaches over one million people through multiple platforms.  The Alzheimer’s Association is the leading source of information and support for the 5.2 million Americans with Alzheimer’s disease.  Through its national network of chapters, it offers a broad range of programs and services for people with the disease, their families and caregivers, and represents their interests on Alzheimer’s-related issues before federal, state and local government and with health and long-term care providers.  The largest private funder of Alzheimer’s research, the Alzheimer’s Association has committed nearly $120 million toward research into the causes, treatment, prevention and cure of Alzheimer’s.)