Column: Need to invest in Alzheimer’s research

There are few people who are bigger deficit hawks than I am. I’m convinced the national debt is the greatest threat facing our country right now and would support any policy that would reduce it long-term.

Which is why I call for INCREASED spending in my Arkansas News Bureau column this week – on Alzheimer’s research. That’s because we have no idea how to stop, cure or prevent the disease, and as the baby boomers age, costs will be enormous and the burden on families unbearable. According to the Alzheimer’s Association, annual costs of the disease will rise from $172 billion today to more than $1 trillion by 2050. And if you have ever had a relative with Alzheimer’s – and I do – you know the toll it takes on them and their loved ones.

Here’s the column.