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The annual walk in northwestern Indiana for Alzheimer's disease will be held Sunday at Crown Point, where the Alzheimer's Association aims to raise funds to help families coping with the disease. and, hopefully, to heal it.
"A big part of our job is to promote this vision of a day when Alzheimer's disease is treatable and where there is a way to slow down or stop or prevent the disease," he said. said Natalie Sutton, director of the Indiana Chapter. Association.
Last year, Walk to End Alzheimer's Lake had about 1,000 participants and raised more than $ 129,000, while the goal for 2018 is $ 150,000. Already, more than 500 people have registered for Sunday's event.
At the Garden of Promise ceremony before the march, participants display colors that represent their connection to Alzheimer's disease. Blue is for people with the disease, the yellow for caregivers, the purple for people who have lost a loved one for Alzheimer 's disease and orange is a person who does not have the disease. has no personal connection.
"Last year, for the first time, we introduced in the opening ceremony a white flower representing the first survivor of Alzheimer's disease," Sutton said. "We hope that one day we will be able to add a white flower to this garden."
More than 5 million Americans live with Alzheimer's disease, which is the sixth leading cause of death in the United States. In Indiana, more than 110,000 people have the disease and 380,000 untreated people are responsible for it.
Some of the money raised during the march finances the Alzheimer Hotline (800-272-3900), available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. "Problems do not always occur from 9 to 5 hours, during working hours, "noted Sutton.
The funding also helps the 65 support groups that operate around the state, as well as local social workers who directly help families.
The money is used to research new treatments and potential cures for Alzheimer's disease. The Alzheimer's Association is the third largest source of funding for Alzheimer's disease research in the world, behind only the US and Chinese governments.
At a recent conference, Ms. Sutton said she saw experts talking about potential treatments like immunotherapy and amyloid attack in the brain, as well as prevention research, such as lifestyle adjustment and a possible link between some viruses and Alzheimer's disease.
Other recent research is aimed at determining whether treating early blood pressure can reduce the risk of dementia and other cognitive impairment later, Sutton said. In addition, a promising new treatment is in its second phase of testing (although it may take years before it is sold on pharmacists' tablets).
"There is no current way to slow down, stop or prevent Alzheimer's disease," Sutton said. "Our model is to invest in research to shorten the time to stop the disease. This is a difficult process for patients. We do not forget the people who need us today to invest. a cure."
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