Success Story

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is often described as a simple loss of memory and a natural part of the aging process. Both characterizations are wrong. Early symptoms include lapses of memory that, over time, they become more profound. As the disease progresses, new symptoms appear - anxiety, fear, confusion, anger. Impaired judgment. In later stages mobility becomes impaired. You may forget to eat. You lose your ability to speak. Neurological deficits can result in heart attack, stroke, and other more common causes of death. The degradation of the brain manifests in many different ways.

Throughout the world more than 50 million people have been diagnosed with AD and it is estimated that there are another 150 million who have the disease but have not been diagnosed.

 Our Researchers are working to understand the causes of AD so that it can be cured.

Since our founding in 2004, Cure Alzheimer’s Fund has provided $175 million to leading scientists throughout the world. Their discoveries have dramatically changed the understanding of the disease. A few of these discoveries include:

• The role of menopausal transition and AD in women.
• The effects of lifestyle factors including sleep, exercise, diet, and air pollution.
• The role of amyloid clumps in the brain and how they begin the cascade of the pathology that leads to interfere with signaling between neurons and eventual degradation of the brain.
• How microglia remove unwanted debris protecting the brain – and then reverse course and become damaging during the disease.

Scientists are making great progress thanks to the many donors who are providing the funds needed for research. For additional information, please visit CureAlz.org.