Caesars Foundation Underwrites New Brain Health Initiative with Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health

LAS VEGAS, November 6, 2014 /3BL Media/ – On the cusp of National Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness Month, Caesars Foundation is pleased to announce the beginning of a three-year commitment with an initial gift of $200,000 to benefit the Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health, a state-of-the-art center with cutting edge clinical trials and treatment for conditions like Alzheimer’s, Multiple Sclerosis and Parkinson’s disease located in Las Vegas, Nevada. Caesars Foundation serves as the sole funder of the HealthyBrains initiative.

The new initiative, focusing on the impact of lifestyle choices on brain health, will be an interactive, engaging web-based platform that will provide information to guide and inform participants of important facts and tips essential to maintaining brain health, including risk reduction tips and brain-healthy lifestyle enhancement tools. The components of the targeted program cover the six pillars of brain health developed by Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health, including get moving, keep sharp, eat smart, stay connected, rest well, and control medical risks. The innovative platform is set to debut in early 2015.

“We are proud to offer support and assist in launching this innovative initiative from the Lou Ruvo Center,” said Gary Loveman, Chief Executive Officer and President of Caesars Entertainment Corporation. “We are confident this initiative will have a huge impact on the brain health of those in our community, and beyond.”

When participants log onto the website at www.healthybrains.org, they will be given tools to guide interventions and to monitor their progress.  These tools will include an individualized brain health index (BHI) and customized recommendation on brain-healthy lifestyles based on their self-reported online assessment.

Additionally, the HealthyBrains initiative will aim to identify participants for clinical trials, which will help to advance treatment. The Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health currently has one of the most active Alzheimer’s clinical trials programs in the nation. The center is constantly recruiting volunteers to participate in vital trials and the HealthyBrains initiative is anticipated to serve as a crucial channel for finding participants interested in trials targeting conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease, pre-Alzheimer memory impairment, healthy elderly at risk for Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s disease and multiple sclerosis. 

Humans often outlive their brains – our life span is longer than our brain span. Alzheimer’s disease doubles in frequency every five years after the age of 60, rising from one percent in 60-year-olds to almost 50 percent in 80-year-olds—making the disease the most rapidly growing segment of the US and Nevada population. Parkinson’s disease, stroke, brain cancer and brain trauma associated with falls all become more common in the aging population. Maintaining and protecting brain health can help to preserve memory and lower risk for brain diseases.

“We all need to learn how to take care of our brain,” says Kate Zhong, M.D., Senior Director, Clinical Research Development at Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health and the clinical lead for the HealthyBrains  initiative. “With the generous support of the Caesars Foundation, we are excited to launch this innovative website to empower our community to get engaged in brain-healthy lifestyle, to get involved in advancing research and to create a brain span that matches our life span.”

“This partnership is a natural fit for Caesars Foundation as we focus on the health and well-being of older individuals in communities across the country,” said Jan Jones, Vice-Chair Caesars Foundation.

This funding is part of Caesars Foundation’s 2014 third quarter-approved grants, totaling nearly $1 million dollars. Caesars Foundation is a private foundation funded by a portion of operating income from resorts owned or operated by Caesars Entertainment. Grants were approved in Caesars Foundation’s strategic areas of focus, including its emphasis on older individuals, along with education, health, gaming and sustainability.

For more information about Caesars Foundation, please visit www.caesarsfoundation.com.

About The Caesars Foundation
Caesars Foundation is a private foundation funded by a portion of operating income from resorts owned or operated by Caesars Entertainment. The Foundation is the entity through which Caesars Entertainment funds programs and projects of $10,000 or more, as well as not-for-profit giving requirements imposed by certain operating jurisdictions. The Foundation's objective is to strengthen organizations and programs in the communities where our employees and their families live and work. For more information, please visit caesarsfoundation.com, facebook.com/caesarsfoundation, or follow on Twitter @CaesarsFdn.

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