Minority Inclusion Emphasized in Dementia Study

The Miami Times reports that a trial conducted by the Duke Clinical Research Institute and funded by the U.S. National Institute on Aging and the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute will investigate whether cholesterol-reducing statins can help prevent dementia and heart disease in adults 75 or older. The study aims to increase minority participation. The University of Miami's Olveen Carrasquillo said 12 percent of the 300 participants enrolled so far at the university are Black, and he hopes to boost that number to at least 20 percent. "We know minorities are disproportionately affected, yet all the studies don't sample enough minorities, so we don't know," he stated. Approximately 20,000 subjects will be included from across the United States. Participants lacking heart disease or dementia will randomly be given 40 milligrams of Atorvastatin, which can prevent heart attacks by lowering high cholesterol and triglyceride levels, or a placebo. These will be administered to subjects in three-month intervals, with individuals monitored for up to five years to test their memory and physical abilities.