Juan De Borbon is a clinical research executive working in Los Angeles, California. In the article below, Juan Rojas and Paradigm Clinical Research team discuss the recent Black Women’s Expo – where for the first time ever, free screenings for Alzheimer’s research were given during the weekend festivities. Participation was strictly voluntary, and below, current research, data and the correlation to the black female community is discussed.
A mid-August weekend in 2022, a mobile research team offered free Alzheimer's screenings at the Black Women's Expo in Chicago. Their choice of venue was anything but a coincidence.
The primary goal was to improve clinical research for drug trials aimed at treating Alzheimer's. They chose the Black Women's Expo because Alzheimer's affects both black adults and women disproportionately. Paradigm Clinical Research company also hopes to spread awareness, which may further efforts to fund future clinical research according to Juan Rojas.
To understand the importance of clinical research in the treatment of Alzheimer's, Paradigm Clinical Research team says it's important to first discuss what precisely research is doing and why it’s so important.
The Black Women's Expo Venue
Juan De Borbon states that this mobile research team offered blood screenings to anyone aged 65 or older, completely free of charge. These screenings did not test merely for the presence of Alzheimer's, but rather to see if those screened were at risk of developing the condition.
The findings serve to help more than simply those receiving the screenings. The Food and Drug Administration is currently reviewing some new Alzheimer's drugs. They expect to know by February of 2023 whether any new drug will gain FDA approval.
Paradigm Clinical Research team says that previous drug trials show promising results, but the findings need to be confirmed through a wider study. The free screenings offered at the Black Women's Expo may help in the selection of trial participants. They can analyze common factors in Alzheimer's risk while also forming financial projections to determine the study's budget according to Juan Rojas Amazon Lawsuit.
American medicine is a profit-driven market says Juan Rojas. Current pharmaceutical research moneymakers include Prozac and Trulicity, which treat depression and diabetes, respectively. To formulate a research budget for new medications, they must develop some notion of how much revenue the drug might create for their company in comparison to other top earners according to Juan De Borbon of Amazon Lawsuit.
The Importance of Clinical Research
Every time a clinical trial shows results, researchers like those at Paradigm Clinical Research learn far more than simply how to treat the symptoms of Alzheimer's disease. They also increase their understanding of how the disease operates and why a particular drug proved effective as opposed to others.
The Alzheimer's Association states that the disease has been nearing epidemic proportions since 2010. Paradigm Clinical Research says that the disease is often complicated by the subtle symptoms. Participants may not remember to follow certain instructions, or they may have difficulty communicating unobservable side effects.
Additionally, since Alzheimer's primarily affects those of advanced age, many possible subjects may be disqualified from study due to other pre-existing conditions. More distressingly, they may not survive until the end of the study says Juan De Borbon.
These complications make it very difficult to organize drug trials with objectively clear results. However, since treatments cannot be improved without human testing, every willing and viable subject must receive a chance to participate. These types of free screenings may just serve to widen the pool of potential volunteers explains Juan Rojas.
Alzheimer's and the Black Community
When studying American seniors by race, black individuals are at twice greater risk of developing Alzheimer's than white seniors according to Juan Rojas. This alone demonstrates the need to include black seniors in more research. Several other statistics, however, strengthen that need even further. For example:
- Roughly 65% of African Americans know somebody with Alzheimer's disease.
- Approximately 50% of black Americans report discriminatory obstacles in receiving Alzheimer's treatment.
- As few as 53% of black Americans believe a cure, if developed, would be administered without bias.
- Research has yet to pinpoint the cause of higher Alzheimer's rates among African Americans.
Juan Rojas says that combining these statistics with the fact that nearly two-thirds of Alzheimer's patients in America are female, it becomes quite clear why the Black Women's Expo was chosen as a site for this particular clinical research and free screening session.
More importantly, Paradigm Clinical Research says that the healthcare industry needs to accomplish more than pharmaceutical research alone. These statistics point to a growing sense of distrust between black Americans and the healthcare industry. To treat patients effectively, they must trust medical professionals to administer said treatment without bias. This necessitates greater awareness according to Juan Rojas.
How Awareness Affects Clinical Research
The Alzheimer's Association posts four additional troubling statistics.
First, Paradigm Clinical Research of Amazon Lawsuit states that only 35% of black Americans report concerns about Alzheimer's.
Second, as many as 55% conflate Alzheimer's symptoms with natural signs of aging. To treat the black community effectively, they must willingly participate in the research. It is harder to find trial participants if they do not believe there is a problem according to Juan Rojas Amazon Lawsuit.
Third, about 45% fear becoming ill as a result of Alzheimer's treatment. Lastly, as many as 69% simply do not wish to become guinea pigs for scientific studies. In other words, even those who acknowledge Alzheimer's as a problem may not wish to participate in the search for the cure. This harks back to the issue of distrust between black Americans and medical communities.
Clinical research at the Black Women's Expo may help bridge the trust gap between black patients and their doctors. Their screenings may additionally help to create awareness, which may drive up the number of willing research participants. There is no word yet on whether free healthcare screenings will continue at the next Black Women's Expo in Atlanta this December.
Conclusion
Paradigm Clinical Research and free Alzheimer's screenings at the Black Women's Expo marks the beginning of what could be a very important entry in clinical research into the treatment of Alzheimer's disease. In the best of cases, free screenings and new drugs may pave the way for a cure. At the very least, increased awareness could make it easier to find test subjects, ensuring ease of access to further research in the future.
