As part of the ‘Regala memòria 2021’ campaign for World Alzheimer’s Day

PRESS RELEASE
Barcelona, September 20, 2021

As part of the ‘Regala memoria 2021’ campaign for World Alzheimer’s Day

A moving spot to raise awareness about the effects of Alzheimer’s disease

• The video features advertising icons such as Lluís Bassat and Toni Segarra, and was made possible with the collaboration of Andrés Iniesta, Cinemes Girona, and music by Joan Chamorro and Andrea Motis.

• Ace emphasizes the importance of early dementia diagnosis, which is key to intervening in its progression.

Ace Alzheimer Center Barcelona, an entity dedicated to the diagnosis, treatment, and research of Alzheimer’s disease and a collaborator of UIC Barcelona, presents the new commercial for the ‘Regala memoria 2021’ campaign on the occasion of World Alzheimer’s Day. Once again, a video spot is being released with the goal of raising public awareness about the reality of this disease.

While in 2020, amid the COVID-19 context, the spot reflected on the 75 million people who will suffer from Alzheimer’s by 2030, this year it focuses on bringing the effects of the disease closer to everyone and raising public awareness about its impact on people with Alzheimer’s.

The spot, emotional and striking, takes on a more documentary style this time. Framed within the advertising universe, it sets out to test whether it’s possible to create an unforgettable commercial based on the recommendations of leading advertising figures like Lluís Bassat and Toni Segarra. The video also featured the collaboration of Andrés Iniesta, Cinemes Girona, and music by Joan Chamorro and Andrea Motis.

Dr. Mercè Boada, co-founder, medical director of Ace, and professor at the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences at UIC Barcelona, states that “raising awareness among the entire population about what Alzheimer’s means for people and its effects is essential. In a disease that affects us all, we have to get involved,“ and adds that ”from Ace we work with the goal of making Alzheimer’s a thing of the past: we want to achieve that everyone can remember this spot.”

Early detection and research are the main challenges

Diagnosing dementia in its early stages, when there is still time to act on its progression, is a priority for both society and Ace. With this goal in mind, Ace has created Facememory, the first online test that allows for the detection of people with cognitive impairment and, thus, the early detection of Alzheimer’s disease. In just two months, 1,000 people, 34% men and 66% women, have taken the test.

Dr. Boada insists that “raising awareness throughout society is key so that everyone understands the importance of having their memory checked,” and adds that “it is as relevant as a sugar or cholesterol test.” In this regard, Dr. Boada reminds us that “early detection of the disease is fundamental, as it gives us the opportunity to act on its progression.”

On the other hand, research is one of the entity’s main areas of work, and it is essential for advancing the treatment of the disease. In this regard, and as a result of previous joint research, Ace, in collaboration with Grifols, has opened this year the first AMBAR® Center, a facility located at Ace’s premises where the AMBAR® medical procedure is administered. The AMBAR® treatment is based on periodic plasma exchange with albumin, a procedure that has been shown to slow cognitive and functional decline in people with mild to moderate Alzheimer’s.

A Global Priority

Currently, according to the World Health Organization, Alzheimer’s disease is one of the world’s leading health problems, affecting more than 55 million people worldwide, making it the most common form of dementia. It is estimated that this number will increase to 78 million by 2050. In Spain, according to data from the Ministry of Health, there are currently more than 800,000 cases, and it is estimated that this number will double by 2050.

Alzheimer’s is characterized by the slow onset of symptoms such as memory loss, changes in personality and behavior, and problems with language and orientation, which progress over time. It is generally diagnosed in people over the age of 65, although more and more cases of early onset are being detected. Currently, the cause of Alzheimer’s disease has not yet been identified, there is no cure, and treatments are more effective in the early stages. For this reason, research is currently focused on prevention and early detection. In this regard, for the past 13 years, Ace has offered free memory screenings, which can be done via video call and are available to anyone over the age of 50. You can request one by emailing memoria@fundacioace.org or by calling 93 430 47 20.

For more information:

Isabel Rodríguez

93 444 73 18

irodriguez@fundacioace.org

Marta Carbó

617 61 85 59

mcarbo@undatia.es