Stress of poverty, racism raise risk of Alzheimer's for African Americans, new research suggests

[DonViejo]

By Fredrick Kunkle July 16 at 10:46 AM

A new group of studies into racial disparities among people with Alzheimer’s disease suggests that social conditions, including the stress of poverty and racism, substantially raise the risks of dementia for African Americans.

In four separate studies, researchers found that conditions that affect blacks disproportionately compared with other groups — such as poor living conditions and stressful events such as the loss of a sibling, the divorce of one’s parents or chronic unemployment — have severe consequences for brain health later on.

One study by University of Wisconsin researchers found that stress literally takes years off a person’s life in terms of brain function — an average of four years for African Americans, compared with 1½ years for whites.

Another Wisconsin study showed that living in a disadvantaged neighborhood is associated with later decline in cognitive function and even the biomarkers linked to Alzheimer’s disease, which is the most common form of dementia.

In the other two studies, researchers with Kaiser Permanente and the University of California at San Francisco found a higher degree of dementia risk for people born in states with high rates of infant mortality. Researchers at Kaiser Permanente and the University of California at Irvine found that racial disparities in the incidence of dementia that were previously found among people who are 65 years and older also appear in the very oldest demographic, people who are 90 or older.

more
https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/social-issues/stress-of-poverty-and-racism-raise-risk-of-alzheimers-for-african-americans-new-research-suggests/2017/07/15/4a16e918-68c9-11e7-a1d7-9a32c91c6f40_story.html

[lunasun]

1. I see that on the map along the south east but what is that deep red run in the SW? Reservations?

I have ran out of free WP so maybe it was explained there
Of course the daily stress of racial disparity is going to have serious consequences .

[DonViejo]

2. Native American and Latino

[nikibatts]

3. I know one thing for sure, many African American children are already suffering PTSS.

Our granddaughter 11 years old just broke down crying after over hearing the news today and a story about another unarmed black being shot and killed by police. She started wailing about what good is it to try to be nice and be good and do things right. Nobody like us, the police hate us, white people don't like us and keep being mean to us, God must not like us either because he doesn't do anything to stop it. She just cried uncontrollably for about30 minute. He mom, my daughter, was just feeling just about as depressed as my granddaughter but managed to fight back the tears, grabbed her, hugged her and told her how much she was loved and needed by the family including her sister, grandparents, and all those cousins. I cried when my daughter told me about it on the phone. We are a very mixed family, but as society has it, we are black or African American because of our mixed heritage...more everything else than African.

It's pretty rough on all of us, event he ones with largess to weather the economic storms coming. Our roots go way back to the Revolution and include a lot of Native American ancestry. The feeling is hurtful, especially when you are taught from cradle to grave to be respectful, kind, generous, to ALL other people no matter how you are treated. One can do all you can to instill self-esteem and pride but it can be wiped away with just a few incidents of cruelty and ignorance.

The school year is going to be really tough. I am really dreading it. Our grands are exceptionally smart, pretty, and just all round nice respectful girls. The depression is real. The sense of powerlessness is overwhelming especially considering how hard the family worked for the Dems in 2016. Already three in the family have lost jobs in the past month...and they ALL were big surprises as all had been working for sometime, had good work ethic, and was considered to be model employees. One had a just had a meeting with his boss to find out why he was passed over for a more senior position in favor of someone with only 8 months experience on the job...need I say more?

We are a strong family. We will make it work but it is really, really hard right now.