Reagan Death Sparks Alzheimer's Interest

By ALICIA CHANG | Associated Press Writer

10:17 PM EDT, June 10, 2004

When President Reagan died last weekend after struggling with the mind-robbing Alzheimer's disease, Judy Wunsch felt a sense of deja vu. Within minutes of the news, the phones at her office in the Los Angeles chapter of the Alzheimer's Association began ringing, and kept sounding for days.

On the line were anxious Alzheimer's patients, relatives and caregivers asking about the latest medical breakthroughs and where to find support groups.

Wunsch had witnessed this flood of interest before. A decade earlier, she had been bombarded with questions after Reagan candidly told the world he suffered from the debilitating brain disease. But back then, many of the calls were from people asking what Alzheimer's was.

Advocates and scientists hope Reagan's passing will lead to greater awareness and more money for Alzheimer's research -- just as his diagnosis 10 years ago thrust the disease into the spotlight.

"Our hope would be that with his death and with Mrs. Reagan's emphasis on research for Alzheimer's, once again there will be a kind of shock into action," said Wunsch, whose own mother died of Alzheimer's nearly two decades ago.

Alzheimer's, a neurological disorder that causes memory loss and impairs the ability to perform simple tasks, now affects about 4.5 million Americans, the Alzheimer's Association says. That number could grow as high as 16 million by 2050 as baby boomers age.

Much of what is known about the disease was discovered in the last 15 years. While patients can now take medicine in the early stages to temporarily stall the progression of the disease, there's still no cure and researchers are still studying ways to prevent it.

The Alzheimer's Association, headquartered in Chicago, is one of three groups chosen by the Reagan family to receive memorial funds. The others include Reagan's alma mater Eureka College in Illinois and the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library.

The Alzheimer's Association has received some contributions in the wake of Reagan's death, but whether that will continue in a significant way remains to be seen, said Kathryn Kane, a senior vice president for communications.

Alzheimer's Disease International, a London-based group representing 66 Alzheimer's organizations around the globe, noticed a spike in its Web traffic after Reagan died, said executive director Elizabeth Rimmer.

The group counted 21,000 hits on its Web site last weekend, about double the normal Internet traffic. Most of the inquiries were searches for current treatment methods.

The Alzheimer's Foundation of America, a nonprofit comprised of member groups across the United States, saw its phone inquiries triple at its main headquarters in New York City.

"If there's any benefit to his sad death, maybe it's simply that awareness is brought back," said Eric Hall, the foundation's chief executive.

Researchers admit that the ongoing battle for more Alzheimer's research money continues to be a challenge, and some hope Reagan's celebrity will trigger movement on issues that have stalled in Washington.

Earlier this year, advocates called on the federal government to fund an additional $40 million on top of the $679 million earmarked for Alzheimer's research programs in the current fiscal year.

Right before Reagan's death, 58 U.S. senators asked President Bush to relax federal restrictions on stem cell research. Reagan's wife, Nancy, has long argued that using stem cells from embryos could lead to cures for such diseases as Alzheimer's. Bush continues to oppose using embryos for stem cell research.

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On the Net:

Alzheimer's Association: http://www.alz.org

Alzheimer's Disease International: http://www.alz.co.uk

Alzheimer's Foundation of America: www.alzfdn.org