Americans will support Presidential Candidates supporting extra Alzheimer’s funding

Americans of all ages fear Alzheimer’s disease to the point where 67% of the respondents in a new poll said they would be more likely to vote for a presidential candidate who supports increased government funding for Alzheimer’s research.

The survey of 801 adults, by Hart Research Associates, Washington, for the Alzheimer’s Association, also found that 72% of women are more likely to vote for a candidate who backs increased research into the disease, compared with 63% of men.

Sixty-five percent of the 18 to 34 year olds – and 64% of those ages 65 and older – reported they were concerned that they or a family member might develop Alzheimer’s. And that concern cut across party lines, worrying Democrats (68%), Republicans (64%) and independents (66%) alike.

“Every presidential candidate needs to understand that Alzheimer’s is an important issue for American voters,” said Harry Johns, president and chief executive officer of the Alzheimer’s Association.

Previous polls by other groups have shown Americans saying they fear Alzheimer’s more than heart disease or cancer. In the new poll 69% of the participants said they feared developing Alzheimer’s more than battling a natural disaster such as a hurricane.