Minorities are at significantly higher risk for developing Alzheimer's disease, finds a new report from the Alzheimer's Association in the U.S. that has implications for minorities in Canada as well.
The report, entitled "2010 Alzheimer's Disease Facts and Figures," notes that African-Americans are about twice as likely and Hispanics are about 1.5 times more likely to develop Alzheimer's that white Americans.
The differences seem to have nothing to do with genes. In fact, the report's authors say there appears to be no known genetic factor to account for the differences.
Instead, higher rates of health conditions such as high blood pressure and diabetes among minorities are thought to be to blame.
"A growing body of evidence suggests that the health of the brain -- one of the body's most highly vascular organs -- is closely linked to the overall health of the heart and blood vessels," notes the report.
"Some data indicate that management of cardiovascular risk factors, such as high cholesterol, Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, smoking, obesity and physical inactivity may help avoid or delay cognitive decline."
People with less education appear to be at higher risk for Alzheimer's and other dementias than those who have had more years of education, the report noted. That's not surprising, given that a number of studies have drawn a link between low education and a greater risk of developing dementia.
It's thought that lower education tends to lead to lower socioeconomic status, which increases the risks for disease in general, as well as raises the likelihood of less access to medical care.
Interestingly, while minorities tend to have a higher rate of Alzheimer's than whites, they are less likely to have been given a clinical diagnosis, the report notes.
The authors say there could be a number of reasons for racial differences in diagnosis rates.
"These reasons include the cost of the evaluation, lack of insurance coverage for the evaluation, general distrust of doctors and medical clinics, fear that the person will lose insurance coverage or his or her driver's license and perceptions that Alzheimer's and other dementias are a normal consequence of aging," they write.
Maria Carrillo, the Alzheimer's Association's senior director of medical and scientific relations, says cultural attitudes among some minorities can also be roadblocks to early diagnosis and treatment. Primary among them is the perception that respect for the elderly means not questioning their opinions even when they begin to show signs of dementia.
The report authors note that a late Alzheimer's diagnosis among minorities can have a number of effects, including not benefitting from early treatment, when medications that can slow the disease are more likely to be effective. An early diagnosis can also give patients and their families enough time to agree to plans for long-term care.
The report notes that with a rapidly aging baby boomer population, Alzheimer's will impact more lives.
From 2000-2006, Alzheimer's disease deaths increased 46.1 per cent, while other selected causes of death decreased. Heart disease deaths, for example, dropped by 11 per cent over the same period; breast cancer deaths, decreased by nearly 3 per cent; and prostate cancer deaths, dropped by nearly 9 per cent.
"Alzheimer's is a major cause of death and is clearly becoming a more common cause as the populations of the United States and other countries age," note the authors.
