Gosport MP Caroline Dinenage named dementia research champion

This World Alzheimer’s Month, Dame Caroline Dinenage MP is supporting Alzheimer’s Research UK and is encouraging people that have dementia and alzheimers to register and take part in clinical trials across the country that will potentially help find treatments sooner.

The Gosport MP is hoping to help take action as it has been revealed that fewer people are taking part in clinical trials that could pave the way for future treatment.

Caroline Dinenage said: ‘I’m proud to be a Dementia Research Champion and encourage people from all backgrounds to participate in dementia trials. Research has the power to transform the lives of everyone affected by dementia, but it will take all of us to bring about the life-changing treatments people desperately need.

‘Dementia is among the greatest long-term health challenge we face in the UK, it’s something that has impacted my own family as well as many thousands of others, which is why I became a Dementia Champion.’

Across the country, there are approximately one million people living with dementia, 1512 of those people live in Gosport, but there is currently no cure for dementia, which has prompted the MP to encourage residents to take part in medical trials.

In 2020 to 2021, there were only 61 people that volunteered themselves to take part in late stage dementia drug trials that have been supported by NIHR Clinical Trial Network.

This is 100 times fewer than cancer and ten times fewer than stroke or coronary heart disease trials.

David Thomas, Head of Policy at Alzheimer’s Research UK, said: ‘We’re delighted to have the support of Caroline Dinenage on such an important issue. People with dementia need MPs like Caroline who will champion research in parliament and signpost the ways in which the public can get involved in the search for life-changing dementia treatments.

‘We know the public appetite for taking part in research has never been greater, with more than two-thirds of people in the UK reporting a willingness to get involved in dementia research, yet just two per cent of people living with dementia are registered with Join Dementia Research.’