INDIANAPOLIS, June 27, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- With the prevalence
of Alzheimer's disease expected to triple by 2050, there is an
urgent need for greater awareness of the economic and social impact
of the disease on families, communities and health systems. In an
effort to educate and activate local communities to plan for this
emerging public health crisis, Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY)
today kicked off an expansion of its Community Conversations on
Alzheimer's series with a panel discussion at the U.S. Conference
of Mayors meeting in Indianapolis,
Indiana.
"With the prevalence of Alzheimer's in Indiana slated to increase by 18 percent by
2025, the U.S. Conference of Mayors seemed like a critical
opportunity to highlight Alzheimer's services and discuss the
broader impact this disease has on our communities," said
Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett. "Through the Community
Conversations program, I'm hopeful we'll not only continue to
educate and activate residents, but share insights with other
cities to encourage similar action across the country."
Community Conversations is part of the Alzheimer's Readiness
Project, an initiative aimed at inspiring action by fostering a
deeper understanding of the disease, its evolving science, and the
public health crisis it poses. Since its inception in 2012, local
Community Conversations events have sparked action in 13 cities
across the country. In 2016, events will be held in Santa Clara, CA; Philadelphia, PA; Atlanta, GA and Miami, FL, with additional cities planned (to
be announced).
Panelists included Indianapolis
Mayor Joe Hogsett, Randi Chapman from the Alzheimer's Association,
Malaz Boustani, M.D., professor of
medicine and research director at the Indiana Center for Aging
Research, and Mike Simmons, DBA,
director of advocacy and professional relations at Lilly. Moderated by Phyllis Ferrell, vice president and head of
Lilly's Global Alzheimer's Disease
Platform Team, the panel discussed how local governments can
prepare for the fiscal and social impact of Alzheimer's disease in
partnership with healthcare and advocacy communities.
"For more than a quarter of a century, Lilly has been continuously working toward
identifying meaningful solutions to help those living with
Alzheimer's disease and their families," said Ferrell. "We're
hopeful that by helping organizations work together to identify the
issues and challenges within their communities that may impede
detection and diagnosis, we'll be able to shift perceptions of the
disease as a whole."
About Community Conversations
Community Conversations
is a community-informed program devoted to sharing information and
resources which may help improve outcomes for people with
Alzheimer's disease and those who care for them. It brings together
a diverse group of stakeholders from the community, to create
dialogue and action plans focused on improving awareness,
detection, and care practices and support services related to
Alzheimer's disease.
About the Alzheimer's Readiness Project
The mission of
the Alzheimer's Readiness Project is to inspire action by fostering
a deeper understanding of Alzheimer's, its evolving science, and
the public health crisis it poses. Through outreach, events, and
partnerships, the Project strives to be an important voice in the
global Alzheimer's disease conversation, elevating awareness of the
need for and value of advancements in the fight against Alzheimer's
disease. For more information, please visit
www.alzreadinessproject.com.
About Alzheimer's Disease
Alzheimer's disease is a
fatal illness that causes progressive decline in memory and other
aspects of cognition. It is the most common form of dementia,
accounting for 60 to 80 percent of dementia
cases.[1],[2] There are currently an estimated 47
million people living with dementia worldwide.[1] The
number of people affected by dementia is expected to be more than
75 million in 2030 and 132 million in 2050.[1] Estimates
vary, but experts suggest that as many as 5.4 million Americans may
have Alzheimer's disease.[3]
About Eli Lilly and Company
Lilly is a global health care leader that
unites caring with discovery to make life better for people around
the world. We were founded more than a century ago by a man
committed to creating high-quality medicines that meet real needs,
and today we remain true to that mission in all our work. Across
the globe, Lilly employees work to
discover and bring life-changing medicines to those who need them,
improve the understanding and management of disease, and give back
to communities through philanthropy and volunteerism. To learn more
about Lilly, visit us at
www.lilly.com and newsroom.lilly.com/social-channels. C-LLY
[1] Alzheimer's Disease International. Dementia statistics.
http://www.alz.co.uk/research/statistics. Accessed February 2016.
[2] Alzheimer's Association. What Is Dementia?
http://www.alz.org/what-is-dementia.asp. Published January 2016. Accessed February 2016.
[3] Alzheimer's Association. 2016 Alzheimer's Disease Facts
and Figures Report. Available at
http://www.alz.org/documents_custom/2016-facts-and-figures.pdf.
Accessed May 2016.
Refer to: Scott
MacGregor, jsmacgregor@lilly.com; 317.440.4699 (Lilly)
Stephanie Bukantz,
stephanie.bukantz@inventivhealth.com; 973.477.1814
(CHPR)
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SOURCE Eli Lilly and Company