ALZHEIMER’S & BRAIN AWARENESS MONTH ~ Dr. Domenico Pratico', MD, FCPP

It was President Ronald Reagan who back in 1983 first designated June as National Alzheimer's Disease Awareness month. Over the years, the observance has expanded to become a global movement known as Alzheimer's and Brain Awareness Month. So, this month let’s all go “purple”, the official color of the Alzheimer’s disease movement worldwide.   

Brain health is in our hands

June should be an opportunity to encourage and promote the notion that it is extremely important to take charge of our brain health. It is a month during which we should hold a conversation about brain health and share the fact that Alzheimer’s disease is a major public health issue. By doing so we will engage with more people in our quest for a cure.

Here are some important figures we should keep alive in our discussion and make people around us be aware of:

•         Over 55 million people around the globe suffer from Alzheimer’s disease.

•         More than 7 million people aged 65 and older in the U.S.A. are living with Alzheimer’s disease.

•         One in 3 seniors dies with Alzheimer’s or another dementia.

•         Two-thirds of Americans have at least one major potential risk factor for dementia.

•         Over 12 million of Americans provide care for people with Alzheimer’s or other dementias without any pay.

It is never too early and never too late to take care of your brain health

Here are some facts that should be considered also.

• Brain changes that cause Alzheimer’s begin about 20 years before symptoms start, which suggests that there may be a substantial window of time in which to intervene in the progression of the disease.

• There isn’t a single cause of Alzheimer’s, but multiple factors could play a role. 

• Although some risk factors like age can’t be changed, as many as 35-40% of dementia cases may be attributable to modifiable risk factors, such as high blood pressure and lack of physical activity.

• Research shows that adopting healthy behaviors — like eating healthy diet, getting regular exercise, and good quality sleep — can improve brain health and significantly reduce the risk of cognitive decline.

• We must be proactive in addressing memory and thinking problems. Unfortunately, too often many individuals experiencing memory problems delay discussing them with a doctor. Studies show that early detection offers the best opportunity for care, management and treatment.

• It is never too early never too late to take charge of our brain health.

Together let’s all go purple and make this month memorable for the battle we are fighting against this disease. Knowledge is the power that will lead to success, so the more that people know about Alzheimer's, the more action we will inspire in them.

In conclusion, I would like to thank everybody in advance for the part they will play during this month to celebrate this recurrence and remind everybody that we will never find a cure unless we stand united and engage more and more people in this crusade against Alzheimer’s disease.

Dr. Domenico Pratico' , MD, FCPP

Domenico Praticò, MD, holds the Scott Richards North Star Charitable Foundation Chair for Alzheimer’s Research and serves as a Professor and Founding Director of the Alzheimer’s Center at Temple, as well as a Professor of Neural Sciences at Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University.

For more information on the research conducted by Dr. Domenico Pratico, please visit this link.

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Stay updated with the work happening at Dr. Domenico Pratico's lab by visiting the Pratico Lab website.