Proclamation 5900 --
National Alzheimer's Disease Month, 1988
By
the President of the
of America
A
Proclamation
Alzheimer's
disease ranks among the most severe of afflictions, because it strips people of
their memory and judgment and robs them of the essence of their personalities.
As the brain progressively deteriorates, tasks familiar for a lifetime, such as
tying a shoelace or making a bed, become bewildering. Spouses and children
become strangers. Slowly, victims of the disease enter profound dementia.
Today,
Alzheimer's disease affects nearly 2\1/2\ million Americans. Half of all those
admitted to nursing homes have this diagnosis. Among older individuals,
Alzheimer's disease is the most common cause of severe intellectual impairment
and contributes to the major causes of death.
Alzheimer's
disease is precisely that, a disease of the brain. It is not a normal
consequence of aging. Scientific studies of families with an abnormally high
incidence of Alzheimer's disease have revealed a possible genetic connection in
some patients to chromosome 21. Encouragingly, new knowledge about the brain's
neurotransmitters -- chemicals that ferry messages between nerve cells -- is
enabling scientists to develop experimental drugs to try to slow or halt the
relentless progress of the disease.
Within
the Federal Government, research into the cause, diagnosis, treatment, and
ultimately the prevention of Alzheimer's disease is led by the National
Institute of Neurological and Communicative Disorders and Stroke, the National
Institute on Aging, and the National Institute of Mental Health. Federal
research efforts are augmented in the private sector by the work of voluntary
health organizations committed to the conquest of dementing
disorders. Through forceful leadership, these groups aid distressed families,
inform the public, and attract young investigators to the challenge of
Alzheimer's disease research.
To
enhance public awareness of Alzheimer's disease, the Congress, by Senate Joint
Resolution 261, has designated November 1988 as ``National Alzheimer's Disease
Month'' and authorized and requested the President to issue a proclamation in
observance of this occasion.
Now,
Therefore, I, Ronald Reagan, President of the
In
Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this fifth day of November, in the
year of our Lord nineteen hundred and eighty-eight, and of the
Ronald
Reagan
[Filed with the Office
of the Federal Register,