UsA2’s 2020 Annual Report Chronicles a Decade of Impact

In the 10 years since we founded UsAgainstAlzheimer’s, we have seen enormous progress in the fight to stop Alzheimer’s disease. Our 2020 Annual Report features milestones from this past year as well as highlights from a decade of impact. Last month, after our Annual Report was completed, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the first disease-modifying therapy and the first-ever therapy approved for mild cognitive impairment. This approval of Aduhelm is a true breakthrough moment in Alzheimer’s history, providing patients, for the first time, the chance to consider a therapy that slows the progression of their Alzheimer’s disease. While

Paid Family Leave Can Build Health and Economic Equity

The US is woefully unprepared to care for the growing population of older adults

We will no longer be silent: The role of the Black Church in supporting those with dementia and their care partners

On this National Day of Prayer, we will no longer be silent about dementia and how it impacts our community. As Black Americans, we need hope. We will speak up, share our stories, and support each other. It is true -- dementia does not discriminate, it has no color to it. This disease is happening way too often in the Black community. Older Black adults are particularly vulnerable to developing various forms of dementia. Black adults are twice as likely than older White adults to have dementia. We are such a hush-hush community, and that needs to stop today if

Why Women Are Our Best Bet in Alzheimer’s Research

For too long, Alzheimer’s research has overlooked one of the most fundamental factors in the disease: sex-based differences. Now, the case for change is even clearer. A new report from Women’s Health Access Matters (WHAM) finds that doubling National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding for women-focused Alzheimer’s research would add over $930 million to the U.S. economy—a stunning 224% return on investment. This research approach could unlock the secrets of Alzheimer’s to benefit everyone. Sex-based differences are the gateway to precision medicine, offering new scientific avenues to accelerate progress. By understanding these differences, we have an opportunity to achieve breakthroughs

Memory: “A Bit of a Dunce”

“I could while away the hours, conferrin' with the flowers “Consultin' with the rain…. “And my head I'd be scratchin' while “my thoughts were busy hatchin' “If I only had a brain….” —Yip Harbung, lyrics, ‘If I only had a brain,’ Wizard of Oz, 1939 While we all have a brain, one not made of straw, memory itself can be deceptive. “While memory is king, it is also a bit of a dunce,” says close friend Lisa Genova, Harvard-educated neuroscientist, author of yet another New York Times Bestseller, “ Remember: The Science of Remembering and The Art of Forgetting", published