African Americans Face Greater Risk of Alzheimer's Disease Than Whites

African Americans are far more likely to be afflicted with Alzheimer's disease or dementia than whites, which may be partly attributed to health issues that are more common in the African-American community, reports USA Today . Indiana University School of Medicine Professor Daniel Bateman notes multiple studies indicate a higher rate of Alzheimer's in African Americans, which may be linked to higher rates of diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol, heart disease, and diabetes in that ethnic group compared to whites. One 2018 study determined African Americans had an increased rate for all five types of dementia, with contributing factors such as genetics, lifestyle, social variables, education, and income being evaluated at some point. Bateman blames the stigma surrounding diseases like dementia on a lack of public awareness and understanding. Joanne Pike with the Alzheimer's Association in Chicago says the stigma of dementia is discouraging too many people from getting treatment or diagnosis.