A lifetime of racism makes Alzheimer's more prevalent in Black Americans

A lifetime of racism makes Alzheimer's more prevalent in Black Americans



Constance Guthrie is not yet dead, but her daughter has begun to plan her funeral.

It will be, Jessica Guthrie says, in a Black-owned funeral home, with the songs of their ancestors. She envisions a celebration of her mother’s life, not a tragic recitation of her long decline.

As it should be. Her mother has lived 74 years, many of them good, as a Black woman, a mother, educator and businesswoman.


But she is dying of Alzheimer’s disease, a scourge of Black Americans that threatens to grow far worse in the coming decades.

Black people are more likely to develop Alzheimer’s than white people in the United States. They are less likely to be correctly diagnosed, and their families often struggle to get treatment from a medical system filled with bias against them.

About 14% of Black people in America over the age of 65 have Alzheimer’s, compared with 10% of white people, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The disparity is likely even greater, because many Black patients aren’t correctly diagnosed.

And by 2060, cases are expected to increase fourfold among Black Americans.

While some risk factors may differ by race, the large disparities among racial groups can’t be explained just by genetics.

The problems start much earlier in life. Health conditions like heart disease and diabetes are known risk factors. Both are more common among Black populations, who are more likely to live near polluting industries and to have less access to healthy food, among other factors. Depression, high blood pressure, obesity and chronic stress can also raise the likelihood of developing Alzheimer’s. So can poverty.

LINK