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Report calls for increased awareness, efforts for Alzheimer's disease among Latinos
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A report from the Edward R. Roybal Institute on Aging at the University of Southern California and Latinos Against Alzheimer’s projected significant increases in incidence and cost of Alzheimer’s disease among Latinos living in the United States.
“This timely report provides strong evidence of the rapidly escalating burden of Alzheimer’s disease on the U.S. Latino population,” study researcher William Vega, PhD, executive director of the USC Roybal Institute on Aging, said in a press release. “It is not only the growth of the prevalence that is concerning. It is also the very high metabolic syndrome and diabetes rates that are fueling the increase in Alzheimer’s to levels well beyond expected rates in the U.S. population.”
To estimate Alzheimer’s disease prevalence and cost, Vega and colleagues used data from the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey, the CDC report on Long-term Care Services in the United States: 2013 Overview, and the CDC’s National Vital Statistics.
Analysis indicated that the number of Latinos living in the United States with Alzheimer’s disease will increase from 379,000 in 2012 to 1.1 million by 2030 and to 3.5 million by 2060, an 832% increase.
Cumulative indirect and direct costs associated with Alzheimer’s disease in Latinos are projected to rise to $373 billion by 2030 and $2.35 trillion by 2060.
“Latinos living with Alzheimer’s disease rely more heavily on informal care than more expensive options like nursing home care,” study researcher Shinyi Wu, PhD, a senior scientist at the USC Roybal Institute on Aging and associate professor at the USC School of Social Work, said in the release. “Due to demographic and family structure shifts among Latinos, there will be a lower ratio of younger generations able to take care of older generations living with Alzheimer’s, placing significant societal and economic stress on Latinos.”
In response to the report’s findings, researchers offered various solutions, including:
- Increasing Alzheimer’s disease research funding to at least $2 billion annually;
- Partnering with government, community, philanthropic, health and industry organizations to develop and implement community engagement and education on Alzheimer’s disease, brain health and early detection tailored to different cultures;
- Improving access to caregiver resources;
- Developing recruitment strategies to increase Latino enrollment in clinical trials;
- Advocating for federal and state action plans to eliminate disparities in Alzheimer’s disease diagnosis, health care utilization and research participation rates.
“As the U.S. Latino older adult population grows dramatically over the next 30 years, Alzhemier’s will have far reaching implications for our nation’s healthcare system and economy if nothing is done to curb its devastating effects,” Jason Resendez, executive director of the LatinosAgainstAlzheimer’s Network and Coalition, said in the release.