New Research: Blacks Face Sharply Higher Dementia Risks

By Stacy M. Brown
Senior National Correspondent
@StacyBrownMedia
NNPA Newswire

A new study reveals that Americans over the age of 55 have a 42 percent chance of developing dementia, a figure more than double that reported in previous research. The significant increase in estimated risk means that roughly 514,000 Americans could develop dementia this year alone, with projections rising to approximately 1 million new cases annually by 2060.

Dementia, characterized by progressive declines in memory, concentration, and judgment, is becoming more prevalent due to the aging U.S. population, the study concluded. Factors such as genetics, high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, poor diet, lack of exercise, and mental health challenges also contribute to the rising dementia rates.

According to the study, earlier underestimations of dementia risk were likely due to unreliable recording in health records and death certificates, insufficient monitoring of early-stage cases, and underreporting of cases among racial minorities, who are especially vulnerable.

Conducted by a team from NYU Langone Health with contributions from Johns Hopkins University and other institutions, the research utilized data from the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Neurocognitive Study (ARIC-NCS). Since 1987, this study has monitored the vascular health and cognitive function of nearly 16,000 participants, making it the longest-followed cohort of African-Americans studying cognition and heart health.

The study, published in Nature Medicine, indicates that women and Black adults, along with individuals carrying the APOE4 gene variant, face higher risks of developing dementia, with lifetime risks ranging from 45 percent to 60 percent in these groups.

Dr. Josef Coresh, the study’s senior investigator from NYU Langone, noted the expected increase in dementia cases due to longer life expectancies and the high number of Americans now over age 65. He underlined the importance of early intervention strategies that target heart health to potentially slow cognitive decline and reduce the onset of dementia.

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The study also links hearing loss among older adults to increased dementia risk, recommending enhanced testing and government support for hearing aids to promote healthy hearing.

“The pending population boom in dementia cases poses significant challenges for health policymakers, who must refocus their efforts on strategies to minimize the severity of dementia cases, as well as plans to provide more healthcare services for those with dementia,” Dr. Coresh stated.