U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Hillary Rodham Clinton, Co-Chairs of the bipartisan Congressional Alzheimer’s Task Force, today praised members of the Alzheimer’s Study Group who testified before the Senate Special Committee on Aging. The non-partisan, independent group, which Senators Collins and Clinton announced in July 2007, is currently evaluating the country’s efforts to combat the disease in order to recommend strategies for addressing identified shortcomings. Today, the Senate committee heard testimony from former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor and former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich as they discussed the need for a comprehensive strategy for addressing this disease that afflicts more and more Americans.
“Alzheimer’s is a devastating disease that takes a tremendous personal and economic toll on both the individual and the family,” noted Senator Collins. “However, our investments in Alzheimer’s research have begun to pay dividends and effective treatments are tantalizingly within our grasp. If we are to keep up the momentum we have established, however, we must increase our investment in Alzheimer’s disease research and caregiver support systems. This is no time to take our foot off the accelerator, and I want to thank Justice O’Connor and Speaker Gingrich for their work and for serving as such effective advocates.”
“We have begun to make strides in our endeavor to understand and treat Alzheimer’s, and it is critical that we remain diligent as more and more Americans near the age of increased risk for this disease. This illness has the potential to affect many more Americans and impose an even greater burden on families and caregivers as the Baby Boom generation grows older. But with continued investment and research, and the invaluable work of advocates such as Justice O’Connor and Speaker Gingrich, we will keep moving forward in this crucial task,” said Senator Clinton.
5.2 million Americans currently suffer from Alzheimer’s, incurring costs of nearly $150 billion annually, primarily in nursing homes and other long-term care settings. As experts estimate that 1 in 8 Baby Boomers will develop Alzheimer’s, these costs will continue to rise exponentially. It is projected that without a cure, or the discovery of a treatment that could delay the onset or progression of Alzheimer’s, there will be almost a half million new cases of Alzheimer’s disease each year by 2010; by 2050, there will be a million new cases each year. The Study Group’s continued focus on research collaboration, community-based care models, and innovative treatments will be instrumental in the fight against this disease.