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World War II Veteran hopes participation in PREVENTABLE research study will help others
At 100 years of age, World War II Veteran Elliott Rosenberg still takes the stairs whenever possible. Just ask Alice, his wife of 75 years. She’ll tell you she takes the elevator and then has to wait for him.
She’s 98, fit like he is, and both agree she is the “brains” of the couple because her memory is better.
At the least, she’s the keeper of their calendar.
During a recent calendar appointment, in their home in Glenview, Rosenberg talked about his ongoing participation in the sweeping PREVENTABLE dementia prevention study. Rosenberg enrolled in the research study through the VA at the Captain James A. Lovell Federal Health Care Center in North Chicago, Illinois.
Rosenberg was already a Lovell FHCC patient, oftentimes going to the Evanston Community Based Outpatient Clinic near his home, and that’s how he heard about the study. “I said, ‘Sure, why not?’ I keep fit. I have the time,” Rosenberg remembers. “And if it helps in some way, I’ll do it.”
PREVENTABLE – which stands for PRagmatic EValuation of evENTs And Benefits of Lipid-lowering in oldEr adults – is one of the largest clinical research studies in adults 75 years or older. The goal of the study is to learn if taking a statin could help older adults live well for longer by preventing dementia, disability or heart disease. A statin is a medication commonly used to lower cholesterol.
Approximately 20,000 older adults across the nation are part of the study. Among them, Rosenberg is the oldest participant. He’s been in the study more than two years, and he said he’s doing well, religiously taking the study medication that is mailed to his home and checking in with the Research Department at Lovell FHCC when required.
Due to the nature of medical studies, he has no way of knowing if the medication is helping or not. He says he feels fine but does continue to worry about memory loss.
He remains an avid biker. He’s a little disappointed in himself that his annual mile-count this past year was down from 1,200 miles to 600 or so. He still passes his driver’s test every year and takes long walks when he can’t ride his bike.
Rosenberg enlisted in the Army Air Corps when WWII broke out, at the age of 17, and signed up to be a pilot. “Why? I don’t know,” he says. “I was interested. I had never been one before.”
At the time, there was a wait before he could start flight training. So, he attended junior college until he got orders to report for basic training at Jefferson Barracks outside St. Louis.
During WWII, Rosenberg piloted a B-24 Liberator over Europe and completed 35 combat missions with the 461st Bombardment Group, earning the rank of major. During his service, he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and Air Medal with 3 Oak Leaf Clusters, among other awards.
More than 35 years ago, he retired from his last job at an international truck dealership he owned with a partner. In March 2024, Elliott and Alice Rosenberg celebrated their 75th wedding anniversary. They have four children, 10 grandchildren and 23 great-grandchildren, ranging in age from newborn to 18 years old. The couple is active in their synagogue, which they joined 67 years ago. And they have traveled all over the United States in their RV.
Join the PREVENTABLE Study
Lovell FHCC is recruiting Veterans to participate in the PREVENTABLE Study. The commitment is five years. Good candidates are 75 years or older, not taking a statin, and do not have heart disease (including heart attack or stroke history), dementia or a significant disability that limits basic everyday activities.
A member of the study team will discuss the study with the patient and answer any questions. Then the patient will have blood drawn and undergo a few brief memory and physical tests. Study participants are randomized and prescribed either the study drug or the placebo, one pill a day. There is one follow-up phone call a year, which takes about 30 minutes.
There is no charge for the study drug or any study-related procedures. Study participants are compensated for their time and/or travel.
Visit the PREVENTABLE website for more detailed information. If you would like to enroll through Lovell FHCC, contact Lead Clinical Research Coordinator/Investigator RN Teresa Todela, Teresa.todela@va.gov, or call 224-610-1310.