Targeted study seeks participants to help uncover disease disparities.
AUSTIN, Texas — New research from Dell Medical School at The University of Texas at Austin aims to get at the heart of why Hispanic adults experience Alzheimer’s disease at a higher rate than their white counterparts.
Hispanics are about 1.5 times as likely as whites to have Alzheimer’s – a brain disease that slowly destroys memory and thinking skills and eventually interferes with the ability to perform everyday tasks. However, Hispanics are only about 18% more likely to be diagnosed, according to the Alzheimer’s Association.
According to data from the Alzheimer’s Association, compared to white counterparts, Hispanics are about 1.5 times as likely as whites to have Alzheimer’s or dementia related diseases. However, Hispanics are only about 18% more likely to be diagnosed.
“Unfortunately, there hasn’t been a lot of effort to recruit ethnic minority groups – especially Hispanics – into Alzheimer’s studies, so we are hoping to get to the root causes of these health disparities through this targeted research,” said clinical neuropsychologist Robin Hilsabeck, Ph.D., associate professor in the Department of Neurology at Dell Med and director of the Comprehensive Memory Center within the Mulva Clinic for the Neurosciences.
Hilsabeck’s research is part of a multisite study funded by the Texas Alzheimer’s Research and Care Consortium (TARCC). Led by UT Southwestern Medical Center, the study will explore the development of Alzheimer’s from a neurological perspective through memory testing and brain scans during participants’ yearly visits.
Ideal candidates to participate in the study are Hispanic adults over the age of 50 with Alzheimer’s, other forms of dementia, or memory problems, though individuals from other ethnic and racial groups with mild cognitive impairment will also be considered.
Limited Evidence to Unlock Alzheimer’s Mysteries
Hilsabeck says little is known about what causes the unequal rates of Alzheimer’s diagnoses among ethnic groups in America, with one exception: Heart and blood vessel problems correlate with Alzheimer’s diagnosis. Hispanics and African Americans who suffer more frequently from cardiovascular health issues are more prone to being diagnosed with the condition.
Additionally, cultural and financial issues are probably contributors to Alzheimer’s disparities, along with lack of trust in doctors, lack of access to insurance and underinsurance among minorities, said Hilsabeck.
“What we’ve seen from our research is that Hispanic patients often wait longer to come in for a diagnosis because they tend to rely more heavily on family members to provide care compared to other ethnic groups. As a result, often their conditions are more severe when they present,” she said.
“Early diagnosis makes all the difference in outcomes – it can literally change how the disease develops,” said Hilsabeck, pointing to early-stage interventions such as exercise and social programs that can slow the progression of symptoms and improve quality of life.
During the past 17 years, TARCC has provided support to Texas-based research institutions, including Dell Med, with grants exceeding $58 million. The Texas Legislature decided to continue its funding for TARCC for 2022-2023 with an appropriation of $8.77 million.
Individuals interested in enrolling in this clinical research trial should contact Bertha Ortiz at (512) 495-5871.
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