HOUSTON
(By Eric Berger, Houston Chronicle) May
10, 2005 - Alzheimer's disease may strike Hispanics years earlier than
Anglos, a new study suggests.
Neurologists who performed the study evaluated 175 Latino and Anglo patients at five clinics in the United States.
They found that Hispanics with Alzheimer's experienced the first symptoms of the disease seven years earlier than Anglos, at an average age of 67.6 years.
Family members of Latino elders need to recognize the early signs of Alzheimer's, which include a diminished ability to make decisions, plan and choose, the study authors said.
"The message for Hispanics is pay attention to these symptoms, look for them earlier," said Dr. Christopher Clark, the lead author and a neurologist at the University of Pennsylvania.
"Take the initiative and avail yourself of a medical opinion. Get some help."
The study adds to earlier work that suggests Alzheimer's may strike Hispanics more often than Anglos. Clark and others researching this area say they do not know why these trends exist.
A local neurologist who reviewed the study said that although it presents an intriguing finding, more research must be done to definitively prove a disparity between Hispanics and Anglos.
"Given all of the variables, it's just not all that clear cut," said Dr. David Rosenfield, of the Methodist Hospital Neurological Institute.
Latino family members, Rosenfield said, may simply be more attuned to problems with their elders and may get them to see a doctor sooner. Rosenfield also said the study does not differentiate between recent immigrants to the United States and second- and third-generation Americans.
Clark acknowledged that the study is preliminary in nature - seeking to determine if what he and other neurologists were casually observing in their clinics had any scientific basis - and that future work should clarify some of these questions.
A San Antonio doctor who treats Alzheimer's in Hispanics said the study confirms what he sees in his patients, as well as research he and others have done.
"Hispanics who show up here for evaluation are younger, and they are more impaired than Anglos," said Dr. David Espino, a professor of family practice medicine at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio.
"That certainly could indicate an earlier onset of the disease."
Espino believes diabetes, which afflicts Hispanics more than Anglos, is a possible culprit for the disparity. Long-term diabetes may reduce the supply of blood to the brain, Espino said.
The consequences of Alzheimer's striking Hispanics in their late 60s, as opposed to later in life, is a serious one for public health officials in the United States, especially border states such as Texas, Espino said.
In Texas, about 40 percent of Hispanics are uninsured.
Like some other health problems with the uninsured, the burden may fall on hospital emergency rooms, Espino said.
Neurologists who performed the study evaluated 175 Latino and Anglo patients at five clinics in the United States.
They found that Hispanics with Alzheimer's experienced the first symptoms of the disease seven years earlier than Anglos, at an average age of 67.6 years.
Family members of Latino elders need to recognize the early signs of Alzheimer's, which include a diminished ability to make decisions, plan and choose, the study authors said.
"The message for Hispanics is pay attention to these symptoms, look for them earlier," said Dr. Christopher Clark, the lead author and a neurologist at the University of Pennsylvania.
"Take the initiative and avail yourself of a medical opinion. Get some help."
The study adds to earlier work that suggests Alzheimer's may strike Hispanics more often than Anglos. Clark and others researching this area say they do not know why these trends exist.
A local neurologist who reviewed the study said that although it presents an intriguing finding, more research must be done to definitively prove a disparity between Hispanics and Anglos.
"Given all of the variables, it's just not all that clear cut," said Dr. David Rosenfield, of the Methodist Hospital Neurological Institute.
Latino family members, Rosenfield said, may simply be more attuned to problems with their elders and may get them to see a doctor sooner. Rosenfield also said the study does not differentiate between recent immigrants to the United States and second- and third-generation Americans.
Clark acknowledged that the study is preliminary in nature - seeking to determine if what he and other neurologists were casually observing in their clinics had any scientific basis - and that future work should clarify some of these questions.
A San Antonio doctor who treats Alzheimer's in Hispanics said the study confirms what he sees in his patients, as well as research he and others have done.
"Hispanics who show up here for evaluation are younger, and they are more impaired than Anglos," said Dr. David Espino, a professor of family practice medicine at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio.
"That certainly could indicate an earlier onset of the disease."
Espino believes diabetes, which afflicts Hispanics more than Anglos, is a possible culprit for the disparity. Long-term diabetes may reduce the supply of blood to the brain, Espino said.
The consequences of Alzheimer's striking Hispanics in their late 60s, as opposed to later in life, is a serious one for public health officials in the United States, especially border states such as Texas, Espino said.
In Texas, about 40 percent of Hispanics are uninsured.
Like some other health problems with the uninsured, the burden may fall on hospital emergency rooms, Espino said.
