How Racism Increases Alzheimer’s risk For Non-White Americans? Causes And Solution Revealed. Read article below for full details.

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) asserted in its 2022 update on how to combat the disease that “entrenched systemic racism” is a substantial risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease and dementia in non-white Americans.

Black, Hispanic, and low-income communities are more likely to experience health-related risk factors that lead to Alzheimer’s disease, according to the HHS’ “National Plan to Address Alzheimer’s Disease,” which claimed that this discrepancy is caused by “structural injustices” brought on by racism. “Underinvestment in school systems, less walkable neighbourhoods, limited access to nutritious food, impediments to accessing health care, and low quality of care in their communities” are just a few of the injustices mentioned.

The research suggested concentrating on “cultural competency and equity” as a means of lowering the risk of Alzheimer’s.

The report stated that rather than concentrating exclusively on individual actions, “this requires that tackling SDOH [social determinants of health], entrenched institutional racism, and other types of discrimination be emphasized.”

Age is the biggest risk factor, according to the Alzheimer’s Association, a nonprofit organization that promotes research and early detection of the disease; the organization estimates that 73% of people with Alzheimer’s or dementia are 75 years of age or older, but also notes that two-thirds are women.

Hispanics are around 1.5 times more likely than whites to develop Alzheimer’s disease, and black individuals are two times more likely than whites to do so.

The group claims that diabetes and high blood pressure are suspected risk factors and that diabetes is “more frequent in the Hispanic community” while high blood pressure is “more prevalent in the African American community.”

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In fact, the group notes that some studies “indicate that no variations in Alzheimer’s prevalence persist after controlling for health and socioeconomic risk variables.”

According to the HHS report, racism is to blame for these disparities in overall health since it increases the risk of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementia (AD/ADRD) in non-white persons.

The report stated that “these differences in the prevalence of risk factors, which are rooted in decades of structural racism and healthcare inequality, contribute to differences in the incidence of AD/ADRD, which are further amplified by differences in AD/ADRD diagnosis, treatment, and access to care and resources.” Accordingly, it is crucial that any research, treatments, and infrastructure used to address modifiable risk factors for AD/ADRD take into account cultural sensitivity and are built on a foundation of promoting equity by focusing on the social determinants of health (SDOH).

“Accordingly, future efforts to reduce the burden of risk factors for AD/ADRD will focus on understanding not only what actions individuals can take to reduce their risks, but also what community and system-level investments are needed to facilitate risk reduction and support healthy aging,” it said.