Washington, D.C. (August 5, 2020) – UsAgainstAlzheimer’s issued the following statement on the latest findings in the 2020 Edward Jones/Age Wave The Four Pillars of New Retirement study. The study included Harris Poll findings that showed that 32 percent of retirees listed Alzheimer’s as the chronic disease they feared most, 11 points higher than cancer and 13 points more than contagious diseases such as COVID-19 and the flu.

“Even amidst the most dangerous global pandemic of an infectious disease in more than a century, more U.S. retirees are fearful of Alzheimer’s than infectious diseases such as COVID-19 as well as cancer, strokes or heart attacks.

“The Edward Jones/Age Wave study also found that retired women are much more likely than men to be regularly exercising their cognitive abilities through mental challenges, mindfulness and creative pursuits. More people – both men and women – should know that there are steps they can take every day to reduce their risk of Alzheimer’s and dementia.

“These study findings reinforce new research released just last week by The Lancet Commission that found about 40 percent of Alzheimer’s cases can be prevented by things like treating hearing loss, depression, and high blood pressure.

“This study and the Lancet research support the call by more than 100 public health, consumer, aging and advocacy organizations and leaders for the U.S. to adopt a national, measurable, time-bound impact prevention goal for Alzheimer’s and related dementias.”

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About UsAgainstAlzheimer’s

UsAgainstAlzheimer’s (UsA2) is a disruptive advocacy and research-focused organization that is pushing for expanding treatments and accelerating towards a cure for Alzheimer’s disease. UsA2’s transformative programming is laser-focused on proactive brain health across the lifespan and understanding what matters most across the lived experiences of those affected by Alzheimer’s in the service of preventing, treating and curing this disease. We are working to ensure that all communities have their voices heard and get a chance to be brain healthy from the earliest years while building resistance against possible cognitive decline.