Alzheimer's survey reveals nearly half of UK adults believe a cure will be developed in their lifetime

Novartis, Amgen and Banner Alzheimer’s Institute, in association with Alzheimer’s Disease International, today announced results from an online survey investigating perceptions of Alzheimer’s disease.

Findings show that most adults (66%) in the UK are worried that they may develop Alzheimer’s, but nearly half (47%) believe it is likely a cure will be developed in their lifetime. The survey of more than 1,000 adults in the UK revealed that 89% believe the solution to tackling diseases lies in medical research, and 82% are willing to participate - but 76% have no idea how to do so.

Dr James Pickett, Head of Research at Alzheimer’s Society, said:

'Dementia is currently ranked as the UK’s biggest killer, with someone developing it every three minutes. Despite this, research into dementia lags behind of other terminal conditions, with only one dementia researcher for every three cancer researchers. 

'Encouragingly, the public agrees with our view that the solution to beating dementia is through research. Through our and others’ efforts, dementia research has already helped us better understand the different types of dementia, and how lifestyle factors like diet and exercise can affect dementia risk. Research will also crucially help unlock a new disease modifying treatment in the next 10 years - but we need more funding and more people to get involved in trials. 

'It’s a common myth that you have to have dementia or a strong family history of the condition to take part in dementia research, but everyone can play a part. Join Dementia Research puts interested people in touch with a whole host of research projects they could become part of, helping us understand more about the myriad causes of dementia, find effective treatments and ultimately find a cure. For more information on Join Dementia Research, visit alzheimers.org.uk/research.'

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