Washington, DC (December 19, 2017) – George Vradenburg, co-founder and Chairman of UsAgainstAlzheimer’s, made the following statement in reaction to the federal government, including the CDC, embracing diversity in the race to cure Alzheimer's.
"UsAgainstAlzheimer's knows it will take diverse and inclusive approaches to address the growing impact of Alzheimer's on women and communities of color.
We urge HHS to maintain its focus on recruiting diverse populations into clinical research most of which only include three to five percent minority representation. Regardless of what we call it, diversity is essential because health disparities exist.
According to recent data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Alzheimer's deaths increased 99 percent for African-Americans and 107 percent for Latinos between 1999 and 2014, compared to 55 percent among all Americans. The federal government, including the CDC, must embrace diversity in the race to cure Alzheimer's so that treatments and interventions will be safe, effective, and available to the most vulnerable communities."
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