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Examining Risk Factors Correlated to Alzheimer Disease and Related Dementias
Risk factors associated with Alzheimer disease and related dementias (ADRDs) changed over the last 10 years and differ based on sex, race, and ethnicity, according to study findings published in JAMA Neurology.
While researchers reported previous estimates suggested 1 in 3 cases of ADRDs in the United States related to modifiable risk factors like depression, physical inactivity and smoking, potential differences by sex or race and ethnicity were not accounted for by these estimates.
From January 2018 to December 2018 study authors obtained risk factor prevalence and communality from the nationally representative US Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Survey data from 378,615 noninstitutionalized adults over the age of 18.
Of the study participants, 171,161 (48.7%) were male and 134,693 (21.1%) were aged 65 years and older, 6671 (.9%) were American Indian and Alaska Native, 8043 (5.1%) were Asian, 29,956 (11.7%) were Black, 28,042 (16.0%) were Hispanic (any race), and 294,394 (64.3%) were White.
“Approximately 1 in 3 of ADRD cases (36.9%) in the US were associated with 8 modifiable risk factors, the most prominent of which were midlife obesity (17.7%; 95% CI, 17.5-18.0), physical inactivity (11.8%; 95% CI, 11.7-11.9), and low educational attainment (11.7%; 95% CI, 11.5-12.0),” stated study authors.
Combined population-attributable risks differed by race and ethnicity: American Indian and Alaska Native individuals, 39%; Asian individuals, 16%; Black individuals, 40%; Hispanic individuals (any race), 34%; and White individuals, 29% and were higher in men (35.9%) compared to women (30.1%).
Regardless of sex, researchers noted the most prominent modifiable risk factors were midlife obesity for American Indian and Alaska Native, Black, and White individuals, physical inactivity for Asian individuals, and low education for Hispanic individuals.
“Alzheimer risk reduction strategies may be more effective if they target higher-risk groups and consider current risk factor profiles,” wrote study authors.
Reference:
Nianogo RA, Rosenwohl-Mack A, Yaffe K, et al. Risk factors associated with Alzheimer disease and related dementias by sex and race and ethnicity in the US. JAMA Neurol. Published online May 9, 2022. doi:10.1001/jamaneurol.2022.0976
