Alzheimer's and Dementia Projected to Especially Affect Black and Hispanic Americans

A study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published in Alzheimer's & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer's Association predicts the prevalence of Alzheimer's disease and related dementias in Black and Hispanic Americans will rise higher than in any other ethnic group between now and 2060, reports MD Magazine . It is thus critical to consider the growing minority groups with dementia when developing and implementing statewide and national plans to prevent and treat the disease. The CDC estimates were based on Medicaid Fee-for-Service data from 2014 and population prediction data from the U.S. Census Bureau. The Medicaid data included about 28 million beneficiaries 65 or older in 2014, comprising some 60 percent of adults in the U.S. who are 65 or older. More than 3.2 million beneficiaries had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's and related dementias in 2014, while that same year, 1.6 percent of the American population was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias; by 2060 this percentage will rise to 3.3 percent, with 13.9 million Americans affected. Although non-Hispanic whites will still have the most cases of Alzheimer's and related dementias, cases among Blacks and Hispanics are expected to experience the largest increase due to population growth. "Culturally competent care for these groups will be of paramount importance," the researchers note. "Thus, our findings highlight the need to monitor and evaluate minority populations to ensure materials and evaluations are culturally sensitive and to define the needs of a diverse group of caregivers and persons with dementia."