Population Background
Millions of Americans are intimately familiar with Alzheimer’s disease, either through first-hand experience or as a caregiver. But for African Americans, who are twice as likely to develop Alzheimer’s or other dementias, the symptoms often go unaddressed because of denial, fear, stigma, and an acceptance of memory loss as a normal part of aging. The encouraging news is that there are strategies that can be used to reduce risk of Alzheimer’s if we intervene early. These strategies include nutrition and exercise as well as lifestyle changes to address high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes and stroke. As the saying goes, what’s good for your heart is good for your brain.
AFRICAN AMERICANS AGAINST ALZHEIMER’S is a network of UsAgainstAlzheimer’s and the preeminent voice in and for the African American community on Alzheimer’s and its disproportionate impact on African Americans. Through the play Forget Me Not, we reach communities of color nationwide, taking the audience into the life of a family facing Alzheimer’s disease, showing the disease’s impact on relationships between family members, friends and people in the community and building appreciation for and participation in clinical trials by African Americans.
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