Alzheimer's Disease Battle

(CBS)  Former President Ronald Reagan celebrates his 92nd birthday Thursday, but his life is far from normal.

In 1994, Mr. Reagan wrote a letter to the American people, in which he and his family shared the fact that he was suffering from Alzheimer's disease.

He wrote, in part: "In opening our hearts, we hope this might promote greater awareness of this condition. Perhaps it will encourage a clear understanding of the individuals and families who are affected by it."

Dennis Revell, Mr. Reagan's son-in-law and a member of the National Alzheimer's Association board of directors, visited The Early Show to promote greater awareness of the disease.

In 2000, Florida declared Feb. 6 "Florida Alzheimer's Awareness Day" in honor of President Reagan. Revell says a summit will feature Johnnie Byrd, whose father died of Alzheimer's. Revell will be the keynote speaker.

Revell says Alzheimer's — a degenerative, progressive and terminal brain disorder — is robbing Reagan and his family of a normal life, and it's been difficult to see a man who was once the leader of the free world be stricken like this. But like millions of others who recieve help from families, Reagan is receiving care from his wife, Nancy.

Four million Americans have been diagnosed with Alzheimer's and another 19 million family members suffer the emotional and financial impact of the disease.

Revell says there is a limit to what relatives can do to help Alzheimer's victims. He says he wonders whether the federal government understands how serious Alzheimer's is, noting that it recieves less funding than other illnesses.


In 10 years, the annual cost of Alzheimer's Disease to Medicare and Medicaid will rise from $50 billion to more that $82 billion, according to Revell. And since 1998, estimates of the annual cost of Alzheimer's disease to American business have risen from $33 billion to more than $61 billion.

Revell says the NAA is looking to increase the funding for research at the National Institutes of Health to $1 billion a year. It's currently funded at $580 million a year. Current budgets are proposing funding in the $600 to $640 million range.