Volunteers Needed: Be the Generation that Ends Alzheimer's

Today, 220,000 people in Illinois deal with the harsh realities of Alzheimer's disease everyday-either because they are diagnosed with it or because they experience the impact of the disease firsthand as they care for a loved one with Alzheimer's. According to Alzheimer's Disease International, without any new medical breakthroughs, experts believe the number of cases of Alzheimer's worldwide will reach more than 130 million worldwide by 2050 with an economic impact of nearly $1 trillion.

Now imagine if we're able to potentially change the course of this disease by developing a therapy that can stave off symptoms before we lose another generation.

This is what we're doing at Great Lakes Clinical Trials, as one of over 100 study sites contributing to the Alzheimer's Prevention Initiative (API) Generation Program. The Generation Program is made up of two clinical trials-Generation Study 1 and Generation Study 2-and is testing investigational study medications which aim to prevent the onset of the disease.

To do this, we are enrolling people in the Chicago area from the Baby Boomer generation. We're looking for individuals who are 65 to 75 years of age and who currently show no signs of cognitive impairment, but who may be at particularly high risk for developing the disease at older ages because of their genetic background.

We understand that learning one's genetic status can be emotionally impactful so we will be providing genetic counseling to those volunteering to participate in the Generation Program.

I'm excited to be part of an effort that could potentially prevent or delay this disease that takes the lives of millions worldwide. I have seen too many patients lose who they are to this disease and have witnessed many families struggle with effects of Alzheimer's.

If you'd like to learn more about participating in the Generation Program, visit www.GreatLakesClinicalTrials.com/generations or www.GenerationProgram.com.