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Texas Matters: Alzheimer's Disease And Latinos

The Alzheimer's Association hopes to determine if lifestyle changes can delay brain changes that lead to cognitive decline.
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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that by 2060 the number of Latinos age 65 and older is expected to nearly quadruple, and Latinos will face the largest increase in Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias cases of any racial/ethnic group in the United States.

Because aging is the greatest risk factor for Alzheimer’s, that means more Latinos with the disease in the years ahead—about 3.5 million in the United States by 2060.

There are other factors that may put some Latinos at increased risk, including low socioeconomic status, lots of cardiovascular disease, and a higher prevalence of conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity, and depression. Latinos also tend to develop symptoms at a younger age than non-Latino whites.

From February 23rd to the 25th, the Glenn Biggs Institute will hold a scientific conference in San Antonio looking at the latest Alzheimer’s research and at developments in treatment and care for those with Alzheimer’s – with a special focus on how the disease impacts the Latino community.

Guests:

  • Sudha Seshadri, M.D., professor of neurology and founding director of the Glenn Biggs Institute for Alzheimer's and Neurodegenerative Diseases at UT Health San Antonio
  • Bess Frost, Ph.D., assistant professor in of cell systems and anatomy at the Glenn Biggs Institute and the Sam & Ann Barshop Institute for Longevity and Aging Studies at UT Health San Antonio
  • Gladys Maestre, M.D., Ph.D., professor of biomedical sciences at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley School of Medicineand director of the Memory Disorders Center at the UTRGV Institute for Neurosciences

David Martin Davies can be reached at dmdavies@tpr.org and on Twitter at @DavidMartinDavi