The sixth leading cause of death in the United States is now Alzheimer’s disease. More than 5 million Americans are currently stricken with Alzheimer’s, and before the middle of this century that number could reach 15 million. Every 68 seconds, someone in America develops Alzheimer’s with a half million new cases of Alzheimer’s disease expected to be diagnosed this year. By mid-century, someone in America will develop the disease every 33 seconds, affecting 115 million people.

Alzheimer’s is a progressive, degenerative, and incurable brain disorder that robs people of their memories and ends lives in a slow and terrible death. Families must watch the people they love change dramatically in personality and behavior. These caregivers stand by as their loved ones become unaware of what—and who—are around them.

The latest PSA on Alzheimer’s from the Bright Focus Foundation depicts the immense burden borne by families, showing real people who have lived with the disease by caring for a loved one. The PSAs in English and Spanish offer families a way to learn more about Alzheimer’s—including caregiver coping methods—through a special web address at http://www.brightfocus.org/alzheimers/.

Glaucoma, which has few or no symptoms in its early stages, is a leading cause of blindness in the U.S. and the world. Approximately 2.8 million Americans have been diagnosed with open-angle glaucoma, the most common form of the disease, and another 2.8 million may be living with the disease and not yet know it.

Age-related macular degeneration is the leading cause of blindness in industrialized nations. In the U.S., as many as 11 million people may have some form of the disease, and that number is expected to double over the next four decades. There are limited options for preventing or treating various forms of this disease, but for many patients treatments can slow or halt vision loss.

To address both of these important health issues, the American Health Assistance Foundation (AHAF) is launching See A Better Tomorrow, a public education campaign encouraging people to schedule comprehensive eye exams to help protect against irreversible vision loss. Materials include TV and radio PSAs in both English and Spanish.