Sylvia Waller has a talent for winning. In the past several years, the Aurora-based esthetician has used her speaking and modeling skills to win two coveted beauty titles, most recently the Mrs. Colorado America pageant crown.
Previously, Mrs. Colorado American, Waller has another passion: educating the Black community about the dangers of Alzheimer’s disease that are unique to them.
Waller lost her beloved father to Alzheimer’s. And the more she learned about the seventh-leading cause of death, the more involved in the cause she became.
Black Americans are twice as likely as Whites to develop Alzheimer’s. While researchers are exploring reasons behind that discrepancy, they believe that heart health issues, including high blood pressure and diabetes, are risk factors for developing dementia. Both are more prevalent in the Black community.
“The higher risk that we face as a community is intriguing to me,” said Waller. “My doctor said that my blood pressure and blood sugar were up and could create issues. So, I changed my diet and exercise patterns. Paying attention to health in general will help. This has become a passion of mine.”
Waller also has volunteered with the Alzheimer’s Association of Colorado, giving presentations to community groups to help raise awareness of the disease, the unique risks facing the Black community, and the free resources available to families through the Alzheimer’s Association.
Part of the challenge in better understanding why the Black community faces higher risk of developing Alzheimer’s is that Blacks – like Latino people who also face a higher risk of dementia – are underrepresented in scientific research trials.
The world’s leading non-profit funder of Alzheimer’s research, the Alzheimer’s Association offers a free, anonymous online tool, TrialMatch, which connects individuals living with Alzheimer’s, caregivers and healthy volunteers to clinical trials that may advance Alzheimer’s research. The program’s continually updated database contains hundreds of studies being conducted at sites across the country and online.
“I encourage everyone I come into contact with to learn more about the warning signs of Alzheimer’s and the steps we can take to lessen the odds that we will develop it,” said Waller. “I have seen the devastation this disease causes firsthand. It’s time that we took steps to protect ourselves – and find a cure.”
There are 6.5 million Americans, including 76,000 Coloradans, living with Alzheimer’s disease. To learn more about Alzheimer’s disease, as well as the information, programs and services offered at no charge by the Alzheimer’s Association, call the free 24/7 Helpline at 800-272-3900, or go to
alz.org.
Alzheimer's Association
The Alzheimer's Association leads the way to end Alzheimer's and all other dementia — by accelerating global research, driving risk reduction and early detection, and maximizing quality care and support. Our vision is a world without Alzheimer's and all other dementia.™ For more information, visit www.alz.org or call the 24/7 Helpline at 800.272.3900.