Leading The Charge Against Alzheimer's

I met not long ago with dedicated scientists from the University of Pittsburgh who are pushing the frontiers of their field by developing state-of-the-art therapies for a truly tragic disease - Alzheimer's.

The visit was personal: my father was diagnosed with Alzheimer's last year. My grandmother died from the disease.

Like many Pennsylvanians, my family and I have seen firsthand just how devastating Alzheimer's can be, not only for those suffering from it, but also for their families and caregivers.

As Americans live longer, we are seeing more and more cases of Alzheimer's. While most people I meet are familiar with the illness, they might not know just how widespread it is in our state. Pennsylvania has the fifth-highest statewide total of people suffering from Alzheimer's. Nationally, someone is diagnosed with it every 67 seconds according to Kristen Bires, Education and Outreach Manager of the Alzheimer's Association, Greater Pennsylvania Chapter.

And while finding a cure for Alzheimer's will be a serious challenge, I am proud to report that Pennsylvania is leading the charge. A "life sciences research arc" spans our commonwealth, anchored in the west at the University of Pittsburgh, and in the east at the University of Pennsylvania and Drexel in Philadelphia. The Alzheimer's research occurring in our own state holds so much promise for health and medicine, and it gives me and my family a lot of hope.

At Drexel University's College of Medicine, Dr. Carol Lippa is seeing firsthand the progress being made in both the lab and by the public. "By beginning to understand the underlying mechanisms of Alzheimer's, we are making strides toward slowing its progression and reducing the disease burden on patients and caregivers. It's an exciting time for researchers. Additionally, increased public awareness of the symptoms and management of this debilitating disease has enlightened our public about what to expect when they, or a loved one, are diagnosed."

Recently, in Pittsburgh, I sat down with some of those caregivers - spouses, sons, and daughters of Alzheimer's patients. They were people just like me and my wife, Kris. They were people who shared the worry about the deterioration of loved ones, seemingly worse with every visit. At first, you feel helpless. Then, you take action.

"It can be overwhelming to take care of a loved one with Alzheimer's or other dementia. As the disease progresses, your relationship with the person changes, along with growing care needs," says Gail Roddie-Hamlin, Chair of the Greater Pennsylvania Alzheimer's Association, which serves 59 of our counties. "In Pennsylvania alone, families provide over 700 million hours of unpaid care. Each one of these families is why it is so important that we talk about dementia and do what we can to enhance the care and support available."

As a member of the Congressional Task Force on Alzheimer's, I am committed to finding the most responsible - and effective - way of ensuring that this work continues and succeeds. I sat down with Dr. Francis Collins, director of the National Institutes of Health to discuss funding for Alzheimer's and ways we can work together. I've recently signed on to bipartisan legislation that would require Dr. Collins to annually submit his professional recommendation on the appropriate level of funding needed to meet the challenge of Alzheimer's disease to both Congress and the president. It's important that we determine how much funding is needed to cure this disease and then we can reshape our budget priorities accordingly.

I'm also looking forward to one of my favorite annual events. On Nov. 9, I plan to join the 2014 Walk to End Alzheimer's in Philadelphia. I participated last year in this unifying show of strength. Walking in this event is just one more way we can help raise awareness and money to fight Alzheimer's.

If someone in your family suffers from the disease, I encourage you to share your story. You will be amazed at the support you can provide to others who face the same difficult responsibility of caring for a loved one who suffers from Alzheimer's or dementia. Working together, I am confident we can defeat this disease.