The best thing happening now is that former athletes are beginning to ask questions in ways they haven't asked them in the past. There is still a lot of distrust in the medical field from the Black Americans, so when it comes to support services, the communication has to come from people who are trusted. Athletes want help, and want to know that if they begin down a road, they will be able to continue down it, including getting properly tested for dementia. I worked with Dr. Carl Hill, chief diversity, equity and inclusion officer of the Alzheimer's Association, to look at how important information is being disseminated; how to get more people involved in clinical trials; and the need to let people know about the support and resources available through the Association. My mission is to help players become more involved in their own health journey and to get facts from a medical and neuropsychological perspective. You can't be empowered unless you have information and knowledge, and know how to access it. Brad Edwards, CEO, and Bart Oates, president of the NFL Alumni Association, and our team are working to enhance the overall health and productive acuity of retired players, their families, and their communities. For the most part, NFL athletes are no different from any other people who may not know about Alzheimer’s until it hits home. We know the partnership between the NFL Alumni Asssociation and the Alzheimer's Association is important in order to spread awareness. And because these athletes can help share this information with their fellow athletes and others in need, they have the power to be ambassadors for this cause. Hearing from NFL alumni in their 50s who don't know what they’re going to do to help their family if dementia enters their lives is a reminder that everyone must feel empowered to ask more questions. The NFL Alumni Association wants former athletes to understand the realities of Alzheimer's, starting with the signs of the disease. From there, they can develop strategies to plan and take care of themselves going forward. Tell us about your work with the Black Men's Brain Health Emerging Scholars program. If it weren't for the support of the Alzheimer's Association and the leadership of Dr. Maria Carrillo, chief science officer, we wouldn't be able to be doing what we are doing right now, including partnering for the Black Men’s Brain Health (BMBH) Conference, which convenes scientists and community leaders to increase the representation of Black men in brain science research and to reduce brain health disparities. We are aimed at growing culturally-sensitive research 8 OUT OF 10 PEOPLE DON’T KNOW THEY HAVE PREDIABETES. The sooner you know you have prediabetes, the sooner you can take action to reverse it and prevent type 2 diabetes. Visit https://go.iowa.gov/ttGG to take the quiz and stop diabetes before it starts.
13 Publizr Home