MIAMI and NEW YORK, March 2, 2021 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — The Parkinson’s Foundation announced the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine is a new site for PD GENEration: Mapping the Future of Parkinson’s Disease, a first-of-its-kind national initiative that offers genetic testing and counseling for people with Parkinson’s disease (PD) at no cost. The new testing site is made possible by a $1 million grant from the Sharron and Joseph Ashby Hubert Fund of the Community Foundation of Broward to support participation for Broward County residents. Genetic testing and counseling through PD GENEration are available in English and Spanish both in-person at the university’s medical school and online.  

“We are truly grateful for the generosity shown by the Sharron and Joseph Ashby Hubert Fund of the Community Foundation of Broward to help us expand the PD GENEration program to better serve the Parkinson’s community in South Florida,” said John L. Lehr, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Parkinson’s Foundation. “This program will help people with PD better understand their diagnosis while improving Parkinson’s care by accelerating and supporting research.”

Scientists will use the genetic testing results obtained through this study for future research to develop improved treatments and personalized medicine for Parkinson’s. The study also aims to help people with PD and their physicians identify whether they may qualify for enrollment in certain clinical trials based on their test results. University of Miami Miller School of Medicine is a Parkinson’s Foundation Center of Excellence, one of 33 designated medical centers in the U.S. with a specialized Parkinson’s care team that practices the latest treatments and research while providing the best care. The study is led by Dr. Carlos Singer, MD, Professor of Neurology and Founding Director of the Parkinson’s Foundation Center of Excellence at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine.

“I’m participating in PD GENEration because I know that the more information we can gather about Parkinson’s disease, the closer we can get to finding better treatments and ultimately, a cure,” said Rick Friedland, patient research advocate. “This is also an opportunity for me to not just deal with symptoms, but also support real progress for the Parkinson’s community.”

PD GENEration is the first national initiative to offer genetic testing for clinically relevant Parkinson’s-related genes and genetic counseling at no cost for people with a confirmed diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease. The goal of PD GENEration is to improve Parkinson’s care by accelerating and supporting research to advance improved treatments and personalized medicine.

“With such a high concentration of people with Parkinson’s in South Florida, we are proud to fuel this vital and necessary research with a landmark grant from the Sharron and Joseph Ashby Hubert Fund,” said Amanda Kah, Charitable Funds Services Manager at the Community Foundation of Broward. “This cutting-edge research could potentially change the lives of so many people in our community.”

To learn more about PD GENEration, call 1-800-4PD-INFO (473-4636) or visit Parkinson.org/PDGENEration. For questions about enrollment, email [email protected].

About the Parkinson’s Foundation 
The Parkinson’s Foundation makes life better for people with Parkinson’s disease by improving care and advancing research toward a cure. In everything we do, we build on the energy, experience and passion of our global Parkinson’s community. For more information, visit www.parkinson.org or call (800) 4PD-INFO (473-4636).

About Parkinson’s Disease 
Affecting nearly one million Americans and 10 million worldwide, Parkinson’s disease is the second-most common neurodegenerative disease after Alzheimer’s and is the 14th-leading cause of death in the United States. It is associated with a progressive loss of motor control (e.g., shaking or tremor at rest and lack of facial expression), as well as non-motor symptoms (e.g., depression and anxiety). There is no cure for Parkinson’s and 60,000 new cases are diagnosed each year in the United States alone.

Contact: Mona Clifton, [email protected]

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SOURCE Parkinson’s Foundation

CHICAGO, March 2, 2021 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — Findings from two national surveys appearing in the Alzheimer’s Association 2021 Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Figures report reveal that discrimination is a barrier to Alzheimer’s and dementia care. More than one-third of Black Americans (36%), and nearly one-fifth of Hispanic Americans (18%) and Asian Americans (19%), believes discrimination would be a barrier to receiving Alzheimer’s care. In addition, half or more of non-White caregivers say they have experienced discrimination when navigating health care settings for their care recipient.

The 2021 Facts and Figures report provides an in-depth look at the latest national statistics on Alzheimer’s prevalence, incidence, mortality, costs of care and impact on caregivers. For the first time, the accompanying special report, “Race, Ethnicity and Alzheimer’s” examines perspectives and experiences of Asian, Black, Hispanic, Native and White Americans in regard to Alzheimer’s and dementia care.

Findings in the report, reveal that non-White racial/ethnic populations expect and experience more barriers when accessing dementia care, have less trust in medical research and are less confident that they have access to health professionals who understand their ethnic and racial background and experiences. Among the findings:

• Two-thirds of Black Americans (66%) believe it is harder for them to get excellent care for Alzheimer’s disease or other dementias. Likewise, 2 in 5 Native Americans (40%) and Hispanic Americans (39%) believe their own race or ethnicity makes it harder to get care, as do one-third of Asian Americans (34%).
• Nearly two-thirds of Black Americans (62%) believe that medical research is biased against people of color — a view shared by substantial numbers of Asian Americans (45%), Native Americans (40%) and Hispanic Americans (36%) as well. Only half of Black Americans (53%) trust a future cure for Alzheimer’s will be shared equally regardless of race, color or ethnicity.
• Fewer than half of Black (48%) and Native Americans (47%) feel confident they have access to providers who understand their ethnic or racial background and experiences, and only about 3 in 5 Asian Americans (63%) and Hispanics (59%) likewise feel confident.

“Despite ongoing efforts to address health and health care disparities in Alzheimer’s and dementia care, survey results show there is still a lot of work to be done,” said Carl V. Hill, Ph.D., MPH. chief diversity, equity and inclusion officer, Alzheimer’s Association. “Clearly, discrimination, lack of diversity among health care professionals and mistrust in medical research create significant barriers to care and demand the country’s full attention.”

Episodes of discrimination, however, extend beyond Alzheimer’s and dementia care, the Alzheimer’s Association surveys found that many non-White Americans say they have experienced discrimination in the broader health care system. Specifically:

• Half of Black Americans (50%) report they’ve experienced discrimination when seeking health care; more than 4 in 10 Native Americans (42%) and one-third of Asian Americans (34%) and Hispanic Americans (33%) likewise report having experienced health care discrimination.

The experiences and views of discrimination expressed by respondents in both surveys are also reflected in their views on clinical trial participation.

Black Americans have less interest in clinical research trials to prevent or slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease. White Americans are most likely to express interest (82%), followed by Native Americans (81%), Hispanic Americans (78%), Asian Americans (73%) and lastly, Black Americans (67%).

The most common reason cited for not participating in clinical trials among all racial/ethnic groups is not wanting to be a “guinea pig.” This sentiment was especially strong among Black Americans (69%). In addition almost half of Black Americans (45%) worry that treatments might cause sickness. They are also twice as likely as other groups to say they “don’t trust medical research.” And they are more than twice as likely as other racial or ethnic groups to say they “might not be treated fairly.”

As noted in the 2021 Facts and Figures report, health and socioeconomic disparities and systemic racism contribute to increased Alzheimer’s and dementia risk in communities of color. According to the report, older Blacks and Hispanics are also disproportionately more likely to have Alzheimer’s and other dementias. In addition, both groups are more likely to have missed diagnoses than older Whites.

“We must continue to accelerate efforts to engage more people from underrepresented populations in Alzheimer’s disease research and clinical trials,’ said Maria Carrillo, Ph.D., chief science officer, Alzheimer’s Association. “If trials do not include diverse participants, it is impossible to get a complete understanding of how racial and ethnic differences may affect the benefit and safety of potential treatments. Future clinical trial structures and recruitment efforts must lead to a better representation of the entire population, so everyone benefits from advances in Alzheimer’s and dementia research.”

Impact of COVID-19

The report also examines the devastating impact the COVID-19 pandemic is having on people living with Alzheimer’s. According to the report, there were at least 42,000 more deaths from Alzheimer’s and other dementias in 2020 compared with averages over the previous five years — a 16% increase.

The report highlights preliminary and anecdotal data indicating the COVID-19 pandemic is also having adverse effects on many family caregivers. It notes that pandemic-related caregiving challenges, including the shutdown of adult day care centers and the inability of families to visit or communicate with relatives in long-term care settings have caused “emotional distress and other negative outcomes among caregivers.” 

The Alzheimer’s Association and representatives from more than 30 countries have formed an international consortium to study the short- and long-term consequences of COVID-19 on the brain and nervous system in people at different ages, and from different genetic backgrounds.

2021 Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Figures: At a Glance

Prevalence, Incidence and Mortality

• An estimated 6.2 million Americans age 65 and older are living with Alzheimer’s dementia in 2021.
• More than 1 in 9 people (11.3%) age 65 and older has Alzheimer’s dementia.
• Two-thirds of Americans over age 65 with Alzheimer’s dementia (3.8 million) are women.
• Deaths due to Alzheimer’s between 2000 and 2019, has more than doubled, increasing 145%.
• 1 in 3 seniors dies with Alzheimer’s or another dementia.

Caregiving

• In 2020, more than 11 million caregivers of people with Alzheimer’s or other dementias provided an estimated 15.3 billion hours of unpaid care, a contribution to the nation valued at $257 billion.
• Nearly half of all caregivers (48%) who provide help to older adults do so for someone with Alzheimer’s or another dementia.
• Approximately two-thirds of caregivers are women, and one-third of dementia caregivers are daughters.
• Forty-one percent of caregivers have a household income of $50,000 or less.

Cost of Care

• In 2021, total payments for all individuals with Alzheimer’s or other dementias are estimated at $355 billion (not including unpaid caregiving).
• Medicare and Medicaid are expected to cover $239 billion or 67% of the total health care and long-term care payments for people with Alzheimer’s or other dementias. Out-of-pocket spending is expected to be $76 billion.
• Total payments for health care, long-term care and hospice care for people with Alzheimer’s and other dementias are projected to increase to more than $1.1 trillion in 2050.
• The total lifetime cost of care for someone with dementia is estimated at $373,527.

Additional data from the report is included below. Full text of the 2021 Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Figures report, including the accompanying special report, “Race, Ethnicity and Alzheimer’s in America,” can be viewed at alz.org/facts. The report will also appear in the March 2021 issue of Alzheimer’s & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer’s Association.

Other Key Findings from “Race, Ethnicity and Alzheimer’s in America:”

• Concern about developing Alzheimer’s is lower among Native Americans (25%), Blacks (35%) and Hispanics (41%), especially when compared with Whites (48%).
• More than one-third of Native Americans (35%) and nearly 3 in 10 Hispanics (28%) do not believe they will live long enough to develop Alzheimer’s or another dementia.
• More than half of non-White Americans believe significant loss of memory or cognitive abilities is “a normal part of aging.”
• Hispanic, Black and Native Americans are twice as likely as Whites to say they would not see a doctor if experiencing thinking or memory problems.
• One in 5 Black (21%) and Hispanic Americans (20%) say they would feel insulted if a doctor suggested a cognitive assessment.
• Nearly 2 in 3 caregivers (64%) across all groups say that caregiving is stressful, but nearly all (92%) say caregiving is rewarding as well.

Updated Alzheimer’s Statistics

The Alzheimer’s Association Facts and Figures report also provides an annual look at the latest national statistics and information on Alzheimer’s prevalence, incidence, mortality and morbidity, costs of care and caregiving, both nationally and state-by-state.  

About 2021 Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Figures 

The Alzheimer’s Association 2021 Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Figures report is a comprehensive compilation of national statistics and information on Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. The report conveys the impact of Alzheimer’s on individuals, families, government and the nation’s health care system. Since its 2007 inaugural release, the report has become the preeminent source covering the broad spectrum of Alzheimer’s issues. The Facts and Figures report is an official publication of the Alzheimer’s Association.

About the Survey

Versta Research conducted two surveys on behalf of the Alzheimer’s Association: (1) U.S. adults and (2) current or recent caregivers of adults age 50 or older with cognitive issues. Respondents were asked about access to care and support services, trust in providers and the health care system, participation in clinical trials and research, and caregiver experiences. Surveys were conducted October 26 – November 11, 2020. Data was collected by NORC at the University of Chicago via the AmeriSpeak^® panel. AmeriSpeak is a probability-based panel of all U.S. households. 

The survey included 945 White respondents. Oversamples of Hispanic (n=541), Black (n=515) and Asian Americans (n=412) were weighted back to their true population proportions for statistical analysis and reporting. For full inclusion of Native Americans, the same survey was administered to an additional sample of 406 Native Americans recruited through online (non-probability) panels with sampling stratified and data weighted on gender, age, income and education to match U.S. Census Bureau data. The surveys were offered in both English and Spanish. For complete details regarding survey methodology, see page 73 of the report.

About the Alzheimer’s Association

The Alzheimer’s Association leads the way to end Alzheimer’s and all other dementia — by accelerating global research, driving risk reduction and early detection, and maximizing quality care and support. Our vision is a world without Alzheimer’s and all other dementia. For more information, visit alz.org or call the 24/7 Helpline at 800.272.3900.

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SOURCE Alzheimer’s Association

OAKLAND, Calif., March 1, 2021 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — Blue Shield of California has made a $40-million contribution to Blue Shield of California Foundation to support its efforts to end domestic violence and to make California the healthiest state. The nonprofit health plan has contributed more than $150 million to its foundation over the past four years.

Blue Shield of California Foundation is an independent, nonprofit organization that is funded entirely by contributions from Blue Shield of California. Blue Shield is a tax paying, nonprofit health plan that serves more than 4 million people in the Golden State with a mission to help all Californians have access to high-quality health care at an affordable price. Blue Shield caps its net income at 2% and has a commitment to return money it earns above that target to the community and its members.

“We are pleased to support, and continue to appreciate, the great work by Blue Shield of California Foundation,” said Paul Markovich, president and CEO of Blue Shield of California. “The foundation has an incredibly positive impact through its programs and partnerships with community-based groups across the state.”

Said Debbie Chang, president and CEO of Blue Shield of California Foundation: “We are grateful for the support of Blue Shield of California, which enables us to make progress toward our bold goals of making California the healthiest state and ending domestic violence. By working closely with our grantees, partners and the communities most affected by health inequity and domestic violence, we strive to make impact at the system level, in order to create lasting and sustainable change for more people. In addition, we can move swiftly in times of great need, such as to support the communities hardest hit by the pandemic.”

Last year, the foundation awarded 113 grants totaling $26.5 million to improve lives, including:

• Grants totaling $12 million to support Californians hardest hit by the pandemic. The Foundation’s seed funding helped launch the statewide Immigrant Resilience Fund to provide direct relief to undocumented immigrants that were excluded from federal relief efforts. The Foundation also joined 12 other funders to launch Together Toward Health, a statewide initiative to support response, outreach and job opportunities in the communities most affected by COVID-19. Additional grants included emergency support to those facing domestic violence during the pandemic.
• Continued leadership and investment in domestic violence prevention. This includes funding California’s Domestic Violence Housing First program, an innovative model that uses flexible cash assistance to prevent homelessness for domestic violence survivors. The Foundation also is a founding donor of All In For Kids, a fund to prevent childhood trauma and end domestic violence in the Bay Area. Additional grants focus on engaging girls and women of color in healing and safety, and strengthening a network of men and boys of color working to end gender-based violence.   
• Innovations to improve the financial security of Californians, particularly people of color and low-income workers. Given the close connection between economic position and health and well-being, the Foundation invested in efforts to improve economic conditions for childcare workers, student-parents at community colleges and domestic violence survivors. The Foundation also supported policy solutions that increase income and give time for health such as expanding paid family leave and the earned income tax credit.

Here is a breakdown of how foundation grants were made across the state in 2020:

About Blue Shield of California Foundation
Blue Shield of California Foundation supports lasting and equitable solutions to make California the healthiest state and end domestic violence. When we work together to remove the barriers to health and well-being, especially for Californians most affected, we can create a more just and equitable future. For more information, visit:  www.blueshieldcafoundation.org and please join us on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook

About Blue Shield of California
Blue Shield of California strives to create a health care system worthy of our family and friends that is sustainably affordable. We are a tax paying, not for profit, independent member of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association with over 4 million members, 6,800 employees and more than $21 billion in annual revenue. Founded in 1939 Oakland-based Blue Shield of California and its affiliates provide health, dental, vision, Medicaid and Medicare health care service plans in California..

For more news about Blue Shield of California, please visit news.blueshieldca.com.
Or follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter, or Facebook.

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SOURCE Blue Shield of California

NEW YORK, March 1, 2021 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — In honor of National Kidney Month which starts today, the National Kidney Foundation’s (NKF) national public awareness campaign, “Are You the 33%?” enters a new phase focusing on the connection between type 2 diabetes (T2D) and kidney disease, also known as chronic kidney disease (CKD). NKF urges everyone to find out if they’re the 1 in 3 at risk for developing kidney disease by taking a one-minute quiz at MinuteForYourKidneys.org.

Diabetes is a leading risk factor for developing kidney disease. Over time, having high blood sugar from diabetes can cause damage inside your kidneys. But it doesn’t have to end up this way; because with careful control of glucose (sugar) levels, there is evidence that you can prevent kidney disease in people with diabetes.

Award-winning actress, Debbie Allen joined the campaign as the T2D Campaign Celebrity Spokesperson in February, Black History Month, to help promote awareness of diabetes as a leading cause for developing chronic kidney disease. Allen has a family history of diabetes and was recently diagnosed with pre-diabetes. On March 11^th, World Kidney Day, people with T2D will have a unique opportunity to attend a virtual fireside chat to hear Debbie Allen’s personal story first-hand. Allen will be joined by NKF’s Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Joseph Vassalotti and a patient advocate with T2D and chronic kidney disease. Participants will have the opportunity to ask the speakers their own questions via a chat function. See registration details. Note this event is not open to media.

“Millions of adults in the U.S. are walking around with kidney disease and don’t even know it. And if you have type 2 diabetes you are at increased risk for developing kidney disease,” said Kevin Longino, CEO of National Kidney Foundation and a kidney transplant patient. “Having kidney disease also puts you at greater risk of developing life-threatening complications from COVID-19, so it’s really important that people go to our one minute quiz and find out about their kidney health.”

People of certain racial and ethnic groups are more likely to develop kidney disease than others. Blacks or African Americans are 13 percent of the U.S. population, but represent 35 percent of those with kidney failure. Hispanics or Latinos are 1.3 times as likely as non-Hispanics/Latinos to develop kidney failure. A leading cause of kidney disease is diabetes which is more prevalent in these communities. Everyone needs to know about kidney disease, but especially if you have any one of these additional risk factors: high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity, and family history of kidney disease.

“With 1 in 3 adults in the U.S. at risk for developing kidney disease, we must urgently transform understanding risk into taking actions to protect kidney health,” said Joseph Vassalotti, M.D., Chief Medical Officer at the NKF. “We want to help millions of Americans who have type 2 diabetes – those at highest risk for developing kidney disease – by encouraging them to talk to their doctors to learn if testing and other treatments are right for them.”

The “Are You the 33%?” campaign urges T2D patients and everyone with a risk factor to learn more by taking a simple, one-minute online quiz at MinuteForYourKidneys.org.  The campaign microsite is available in both English and Spanish at MinuteForYourKidneys.org. Patients should also ask their doctors about two simple tests to diagnose kidney disease: a specific urine test, called uACR, and a calculated blood test, called eGFR.

In addition, Healthy.io, the creator of smartphone urinalysis, is partnering with the NKF to offer its home urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio (uACR) test kit, free of charge, to people with type 2 diabetes who are at increased risk for developing kidney disease. Take the one-minute quiz at MinuteForYourKidneys.org.

Join the conversation on social media by using the hashtag #MinuteForYourKidneys. 

About Kidney Disease
In the United States, 37 million adults are estimated to have kidney disease, also known as chronic kidney disease—and approximately 90 percent don’t know they have it.  1 in 3 American adults are at risk for chronic kidney disease.  Risk factors for kidney disease include: diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity, and family history. People of African American, Hispanic, American Indian, Asian, or Pacific Islander descent are at increased risk for developing the disease. African Americans are almost 4 times more likely than White Americans to have kidney failure.  Hispanics are 1.3 times more likely than non-Hispanics to have kidney failure.

About National Kidney Foundation
The National Kidney Foundation (NKF) is the largest, most comprehensive, and longstanding patient-centric organization dedicated to the awareness, prevention, and treatment of kidney disease in the U.S. For more information about NKF, visit www.kidney.org.

Facebook.com   
Twitter:@NKF 
www.kidney.org  

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SOURCE National Kidney Foundation