In February 2009, Cleveland Clinic, one of America’s leading multi-specialty academic medical centers, and Vegas’ very own Lou Ruvo Brain Institute announced their partnership.  Together, the Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health brings a new sense of urgency to the quest for treatments that can prevent the disabling symptoms of chronic brain disorders such as Alzheimer’s, Huntington’s, Parkinson’s and ALS. 

According to Cleveland Clinic doctors, Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) alone affects an estimated 5 million Americans, mostly over age 60.  As the senior population grows, the incidence rate is expected to double every 20 years.  With Medicare spending for AD estimated at $91 billion in 2005, future social and financial costs could overwhelm family and public resources. 

For those at risk for dementia, abnormal changes in the brain may start decades before symptoms become visible.  The Center is working to reverse these trends by developing a broad range of interventions that will delay or prevent the onset of symptoms of memory, mobility and mood disorders.   According to estimates, even a modest delay of five years in the onset of the disease will reduce by half the number of people affected and the associated cost of care.

Since July 2009, highly specialized physicians recruited from Cleveland and Las Vegas have been treating and studying patients at the Center, addressing caregiver concerns as well.  It is anticipated that they will soon treat up to 300 patients each day – right here in Las Vegas, right here at Symphony Park.

For more information on prevention, or if you or someone you love is interested in being a part of the study and the cure, please contact the Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health at (702) 483-6000.