David Hyde Pierce to Testify to U. S. Senate

Alzheimer's Association
Wednesday, 28 March 2001

Having experienced the ravages of Alzheimer's first hand, David Hyde Pierce, best known as Dr. Niles Crane of the hit TV sitcom Frasier, has been a tireless advocate in the fight to find a cure for Alzheimer's since his beloved grandfather was stricken with the disease.

Like millions of families, Hyde Pierce saw first hand the exhausting emotional, physical, and financial impact Alzheimer's has on people with the disease and their families. He called his grandfather, who died from Alzheimer's, a "great craftsman and great storyteller" who had an indelible impact on his childhood.

"Alzheimer's is a devastating disease. It was painful for me and my family to watch my grandfather deteriorate," said Hyde Pierce. "We must find a cure for this horrible disease."

"There have been many exciting new discoveries in Alzheimer research at NIH funded facilities," said Hyde Pierce. "But this progress cannot continue unless there is a strong and sustained flow of resources for research. I urge Congress to boost federal funds for Alzheimer's research to $1 billion."

Researchers now say Alzheimer's starts as much as 20 years before the first disabling symptoms appear. Scientists have made tremendous strides in Alzheimer's research – developing new drugs to treat the disease's symptoms and completing early trials of a vaccine that may help prevent Alzheimer's.

Today, Alzheimer's strikes one in every ten Americans over age 65, and half of all individuals age 85 and over. Four million people suffer from this disease. That number will grow to 14 million as the babyboomers move into the age of highest risk.

"We could have a serious epidemic on our hands. Alzheimer's is a ticking time bomb in the heads of people in my generation," said Hyde Pierce. "We must defuse it before it detonates and destroys our minds. Time is running out."

Hyde Pierce will testify before the Senate Labor/HHS/Education Appropriations Subcommittee in room 216 of the Hart Senate Office Building on April 3 at 9:30 am.

For more information, or to contact Alzheimer's Association, see their website at: www.alz.org