Latinos have earlier Alzheimer’s onset

	Tweet

Onset of Alzheimer’s disease symptoms is apparent some 7 years sooner in US mainland Latinos than in their white non-Latino compatriots, a new study shows.

Although Latino people are a geographically and genetically diverse group, some reports suggest that they may differ from whites in respect to several characteristics of Alzheimer’s disease.

To investigate further, researchers evaluated 119 Latino and 55 white non-Latino patients with a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease.

They found that alzheimer’s symptoms began at about 67 years of age in the Latinos compared with 73 years of age in the whites—close to a 7-year difference.

The basis for the difference “remains obscure,” Dr. Christopher M. Clark of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, and colleagues admit.

Regardless, Clark told Reuters Health, Latino families and health professionals who care for Latinos need to “recognize that symptoms of memory loss and confused thinking in someone in their sixties may represent Alzheimer’s disease.”

The findings, he added, “also demonstrate the need for Latinos to participate in clinical studies in order to help healthcare researchers better understand how dementia affects members of their ethnic group.”

SOURCE: Archives of Neurology, May 2005.

RELATED STORIES:
Good physical function after age 40 tied to reduced risk of stroke   ‘Can you hear me now?’ Researchers detail how neurons decide how to transmit information   Eating fruit and vegetables may protect against stroke   Common drug ineffective in early Alzheimer’s-study   Severe Stress More Common Among Long-Term Cancer Survivors   Lowering Body Temperature Could Aid Standard Stroke Treatment   Test could detect Alzheimer’s disease earlier than previously possible   Does Diabetes Speed Up Memory Loss in Alzheimer’s Disease?   Cigarette smoking associated with increased risk of developing ALS   Studies Reveal a Need to Identify and Implement a Screening Procedure for Obstructive Sleep Apnea Prior to Surgery   Combination Treatment in Mice Shows Promise for Fatal Neurological Disorder in Kids   Daily Home Dialysis Makes ‘Restless Legs’ Better

Comments

[ + Post Your Own ]

Now you're in the public comment zone. What follows is not Armenian Medical Network's stuff; it comes from other people and we don't vouch for it. A reminder: By using this Web site you agree to accept our Terms of Service. Click here to read the Rules of Engagement.

There are no comments for this entry yet. [ + Comment here + ]