U.S. Congress : Support NIH Funding for Alzheimer’s Research

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Alzheimer’s is the only leading cause of death in America without a way to prevent, cure, or even slow its progression.

What’s more: Alzheimer’s is the most expensive disease in America. In 2018, Alzheimer’s and other dementias will cost the United States $277 billion, with $186 billion being borne by Medicare and Medicaid. This means nearly one out of five Medicare dollars is spent on a person with Alzheimer’s.

Unless we move quickly to address this crisis and find better treatments for those who have it, these costs will grow swiftly in lock step with the numbers of those affected, and Alzheimer’s will increasingly overwhelm our health care system.

Urge your members of Congress to support a $425 million increase for research funding at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) on Alzheimer’s disease for FY 2019.

To Congress:
As an Alzheimer’s Impact Movement advocate, I am writing to request that you support a $425 million increase for research funding at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) on Alzheimer’s disease for FY 2019.

Alzheimer’s is the only leading cause of death in America without a way to prevent, cure, or even slow its progression. What’s more, according to the findings of an NIH-funded study that appeared in the New England Journal of Medicine, Alzheimer’s is the most expensive disease in America. In 2018, the United States is estimated to spend $277 billion caring for individuals with Alzheimer’s and other dementias, with $186 billion being borne by Medicare and Medicaid. This means nearly one out of five Medicare dollars is spent on a person with Alzheimer’s. Unless we move quickly to address this crisis and find better treatments for those who have it, these costs will grow swiftly in lock step with the numbers of those affected, and Alzheimer’s will increasingly overwhelm our health care system.

Alzheimer’s is the only leading cause of death in America without a way to prevent, cure, or even slow its progression. What’s more, according to the findings of an NIH-funded study that appeared in the New England Journal of Medicine, Alzheimer’s is the most expensive disease in America. In 2018, the United States is estimated to spend $277 billion caring for individuals with Alzheimer’s and other dementias, with $186 billion being borne by Medicare and Medicaid. This means nearly one out of five Medicare dollars is spent on a person with Alzheimer’s. Unless we move quickly to address this crisis and find better treatments for those who have it, these costs will grow swiftly in lock step with the numbers of those affected, and Alzheimer’s will increasingly overwhelm our health care system.

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 living with Alzheimer’s disease is projected to grow from an estimated 5.7 million today to as many as 14 million in 2050. Every 65 seconds someone in the United States develops the disease, 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. Thank you for your consideration of this matter.

Sincerely,
[Your Name]