With more than 6 million Americans living with Alzheimer’s disease, including 120,000 in Washington state, prioritizing how this devastating disease is addressed remains a critical issue for our country.
U.S. Rep. Rick Larsen, D-Wash., can take action today to address the Alzheimer’s and dementia public health crisis in Washington and across the nation. Progress has been made in the fight against Alzheimer’s over the last decade thanks in large part to Congress passing the National Alzheimer’s Project Act (NAPA) and the Alzheimer’s Accountability Act. With NAPA and AAA set to expire in 2025, updated legislation is urgently needed by people living with Alzheimer’s and their caregivers.
The NAPA Reauthorization Act would continue the work of the national plan to build on the progress made in research, clinical and long-term care, and public awareness, and include a new focus on the importance of healthy aging and risk reduction, also seeks to help address health disparities among underrepresented populations.
The Alzheimer’s Accountability Act requires scientists at the National Institutes of Health to submit an annual Alzheimer’s research budget proposal directly to Congress outlining the resources that scientists need to prevent and effectively treat Alzheimer’s. Scientists will be able to work at a more rapid pace to advance basic disease knowledge, explore ways to reduce risk, uncover new biomarkers for early diagnosis and drug targeting, and develop new treatments.
Bruce Holroyd
Anacortes
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