The Baltimore Times

African Americans Twice as Likely to Be Diagnosed with the Disease

PHOENIX— With 5.4 million Americans living with Alzheimer’s today, African Americans are twice as likely to be diagnosed with the disease. As awareness continues to grow around Alzheimer’s, the new Alzheimer’s Prevention Registry created and led by Banner Alzheimer’s Institute allows concerned individuals to enroll and help further research in an effort to treat and prevent the disease.

A new survey shows nearly half of U.S. adults have a personal connection to Alzheimer's disease. According to a national survey for the Banner Alzheimer's Institute, the results also found more than seven in 10 adults, or 218 million Americans, worry about memory loss or the disease for themselves or a loved one.

"Most Americans now realize how devastating this disease is for individuals, families and the country," said Eric Reiman, M.D. executive director of the Banner Alzheimer's Institute (BAI). "We need to marshal their awareness and concerns to push forward on the research that holds the greatest promise for stopping Alzheimer's."

As November marks National Alzheimer's Disease Awareness Month, the survey illustrates the disease's increasing impact as the nation ages and the prevalence of Alzheimer's continues to rise, being the only condition among the top 10 causes of death that has no cure or treatment. With millions of boomers on the cusp of hitting the age of 65, the Alzheimer's Association projects the number of people living with the disease could exceed 7.7 million by 2030.

The survey a nationally representative polling of nearly 1,500 adults, was conducted by Edge Research for the nonprofit BAI. As a leader in Alzheimer's research, treatment and care, BAI is fighting the disease through strong, collaborative efforts across private, public and philanthropic lines.

Many adults also want to keep abreast of the latest scientific news on Alzheimer's, and the survey shows that they are interested in learning about opportunities to participate in prevention studies. One of the easiest ways to do both is through the Alzheimer's Prevention Registry, a national initiative created and led by BAI in partnership with academic and research institutions across the country.

 "The Registry is a way that people can immediately start to make a difference," explained Jessica Langbaum, Ph.D. who is a principal scientist at BAI and associate director with the Registry. "They can quickly and easily join this online community and help to accelerate our momentum against a disease that steals life before ending it."

Learn how you can help prevent suffering for your loved ones or even yourself by joining the registry. Visit www.endALZnow.org/Registry.

Banner Alzheimer’s Institute, a nonprofit organization dedicated to Alzheimer’s research, treatment and care, has created the Alzheimer’s Prevention Registry for individuals who  want to help prevent loved ones or themselves from developing Alzheimer’s. Many Americans want to be able to help themselves and their loved ones, including keeping informed on the latest Alzheimer’s research and preventative measures, even participating in medical research. By joining the Alzheimer’s Prevention Registry, individuals can ensure that we are one step closer to finding a cure for the disease.

The Registry is a shared resource and draws on the support of its other partners, the Geoffrey Beene Gives Back Alzheimer’s Initiative and the Alzheimer’s Research Forum, and the guidance of leading U.S. researchers and advocates, including Drs. Paul Aisen, Marilyn Albert, Jeffrey Cummings, Jennifer Manly, Ronald Petersen, ReisaSperling and Michael Weiner. 

The Ghosts of Combat Haunt Every Warrior; Vietnam Vet Discusses Ways to Help

News & Experts— No matter how well-adjusted returning or returned veterans appear, they are like

ly carrying wounds that cut deep, and that pain sticks with them for the rest of their lives, says Vietnam veteran Ord Elliott.

“When I came back from the war, I filed all that pain away as ‘personal,’ but it invariably came out in my creative writing, and I think that kept me much more sane,” says Elliott, a former platoon commander with the Marines and author of “The Warrior’s Silence.” (http://tinyurl.com/96cv8xj).

“I still feel a sense that something was lost within me from that war, and it kills me to think that our country’s most recent wars have done the same to the latest generation of military personnel. When I hear reports of alarming suicide rates among soldiers and problems with drugs and homelessness, it reminds me of friends I’ve lost, and the lives they weren’t able to have.”

While intending to write books about business, Elliott found himself writing poems about his war experience. Through the years, writing became an extremely helpful, therapeutic activity, he says.

“It just came out of me about five years after coming home,” he says. “Unfortunately, for many of today’s younger veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan, they are expressing their pain through alcoholism, drugs, crime, depression and violence.”

There are many avenues available to vets if they’re having a hard time adjusting to civilian life after combat, he says.

“In some ways I was lucky; I had a good education from Princeton, a sense of purpose and I never had a full-blown case of post-traumatic stress disorder,” Elliott says. “But I think it’s safe to say all vets who have seen combat are haunted by what they’ve endured.”

Although most civilians can never understand the horrors of war— of perpetually wondering what that last moment of life might be like— there are ways in which the families of veterans, and others, can help: 

   • Make creative expression available: Elliott has heard story after story involving vets who simply do not want to talk about their combat stress. Many simply do not know how to find catharsis in constructive ways. Thoughts and emotions, however, can also be expressed – released – in creative pursuits such as writing, art, music, even cooking.

   • Patience and understanding:  “You won’t go wrong with loving tolerance while seeking the help of a trained professional to help your veteran work through problems like depression and anxiety,” Elliott says. “It’s important to provide emotional support, including helping vets who need it to get to appointments and joining in on family sessions.”

   •There are many outstanding efforts going on with non-profits that help today’s returning vets, but the best medicine is prevention, he says. In 2001, when the Iraq War was gearing up, that same feeling of anticipation – excitement – washed over Elliott that he experienced before entering Vietnam. “I was surprised that I could feel that way, but then I quickly remembered all that I’ve been through with the reality of war,” he says. “If families and citizens really want to help the men and women of the U.S. military, they will be wary of politicians who haven’t been in combat and who are all too quick to the war trigger.”

As a Princeton graduate; a Marine Rifle Platoon commander in Vietnam; and Purdue Ph.D. in Management, Ord Elliott writes from an unusual perspective. He has four decades of experience as an internal and external management consultant, specializing in change management, strategy implementation and executive coaching. He has advised companies such as Procter and Gamble, General Electric, Allied Signal, Shell Oil, Pacific Gas and Electric, Intel, Philips, Cisco Systems, and numerous Silicon Valley technology companies and start-ups.

Elliott is also the author of several books.

Anne Arundel Medical Center

Annapolis, MD (Sept. 4, 2012) – If you have been diagnosed with heart disease, arthritis, high blood pressure, COPD, diabetes, or any other chronic condition, register now for a health series to improve your life.

Alzheimer's Disease is a degenerative, brain disorder in which neurons, the specialized cells of the brain that process information, stop functioning properly. The disease is named after Dr. Alois Alzheimer, a German doctor who first described the

Annapolis, MD (July 17, 2012) – The Anne Arundel County Department of Aging and Disabilities has joined with the Federal Trade Commission to warn the public about scammers and the Affordable Care Act.

The Anne Arundel County Department of Health will provide free testing for HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, on National HIV Testing Day, Wednesday, June 27, 2012. Free HIV testing and counseling services will be available from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Glen Burnie Health Center, 416 A Street, S.W., in Glen Burnie. Appointments are

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If you're over 40-years-old, a leading expert in cardiovascular care suggests that NOW is the time to pay close attention to the factors,

Special to the NNPA from the Act Against AIDS Leadership Initiative

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