Did you know that 2/3 of the 5.5 million Americans currently suffering from Alzheimer’s disease are women? TV star Linda Gray (Sue Ellen Ewing from CBS-TV’s “Dallas”) experienced the disease first hand, affecting both her mother and a close friend. This has inspired Linda to join a new, national public service announcement (PSA) campaign to help find a treatment for Alzheimer’s disease by 2025.
The PSA encourages people across the country to join in the fight for a cure by registering online at www.brainhealthregistry.org.
“I lost my mother and a dear friend to Alzheimer’s disease,” explained Ms. Gray, “and wanted to do something to help. The wife of my dear friend Larry Hagman is suffering from Alzheimer’s, and when he passed, she did not even know it. This heartbreaking story is being repeated in homes across America, and now there is something all Americans can do to help. The Brain Health Registry is a free, online platform that collects data about members to help speed clinical trials with the goal of finding a treatment by 2025. I’m doing my part and am asking everyone to join this noble effort.”
#GrayMatters is part of a national campaign led by Global Alzheimer’s Platform Foundation in partnership with UC San Francisco’s online Brain Health Registry. The initiative’s goal is to grow a registry of potential Alzheimer’s clinical trial candidates and accelerate a treatment for Alzheimer’s disease by 2025. Encouraging enrollment for these trials has been a major barrier in researching Alzheimer’s treatment to date, across both sexes and diverse populations. The effort also includes support from major medical institutions across the country, including UCSF, researchers at Harvard Medical School, Emory University Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Cleveland Clinic’s Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health, Banner Alzheimer’s Institute, Baylor University, and Washington University in St. Louis.
Those who wish to help in the fight against Alzheimer’s disease can register free at www.brainhealthregistry.org and help spread the word using #BeatAlzheimers.
