Sign up for TPR Today, Texas Public Radio's newsletter that brings our top stories to your inbox each morning.
South Texas has some of the highest rates of Alzheimer's and other forms on dementia in the nation, according to an expert on the disease from UT Health who spoke to Bexar County commissioners at their last June meeting.
Dr. Campbell Sullivan, a clinical neuropsychologist who helped build UT Health's Glenn Biggs Institute for Alzheimer's & Neurogenerative Diseases, addressed commissioners after they passed a proclamation to recognize June as Alzheimer's & Brain Awareness Month.
"Our region is among the areas most heavily impacted by Alzheimer's disease in the United States," she said. "This is driven by a combination of demographic, vascular, genetic and socioeconomic factors."
"As a result, South Texas has become a critical region for research, treatment, and innovation in brain health," she added.
The Biggs Institute provides a comprehensive network of clinical care for patients and their families with access to the most advanced treatment in clinical trials, according to its website, as it leads the search for a cure for Alzheimer’s and other neurodegenerative diseases.
The Alzheimer's Association said as of 2023, around 13% of Bexar County residents ages 65 and older had the disease. That's around 33,000 residents. Across Texas, that figure is around 460,000 and across the U.S. today, around 7 million.
The association further reports 1 in 3 older Americans died with Alzheimer's or another form of dementia. The number of those deaths doubled between 2000 and 2024, in fact killing more than breast and prostate cancer combined.
Alzheimer's costs the U.S. an estimated $409 billion annually, according to figures from this year.
Sullivan said there is hope among researchers and physicians in the battle against Alzheimer's.
"For the first time, we can realistically envision a future where dementia is detected earlier, treated more effectively, and, in some cases, prevented altogether."
Precinct 2 County Commissioner—Justin Rodriguez—thanked Sullivan for her remarks and praised the work of those like her.
"I wanted to make sure we acknowledged the fine work of ... UT Health because that is hopefully, inevitably where we will find solutions and a cure, but it's not by accident. It's because of the resources and the smart brain power we have here in South Texas."
The Alzheimer's Association said the disease is characterized by memory loss that disrupts life, challenges in planning or solving problems, difficulty completing familiar tasks, confusion with time or place, trouble understanding visual images and spatial relationships, problems with words in speaking or writing, misplacing things or losing the ability to retrace steps, decreased or poor judgement, withdrawal from work or social activities, and changes in mood and personality.
The association operates a 24/7 helpline at 1-800-272-3900. Their website is Alzheimer's Association | Alzheimer's Disease & Dementia Help
