Aboriginal Australians in cities have dementia rates as high as those in
rural areas
Study examines population that has among the highest rates of dementia in
the world

Date:
February 10, 2022
Source:
American Academy of Neurology
Summary:
Studies have shown that Aboriginal Australians living in remote
areas of the country are disproportionately affected by dementia,
with rates approximately double those of non-Indigenous people. A
new study shows that Aboriginal Australians living in urban areas
also have similar high rates of dementia.



FULL STORY ========================================================================== Studies have shown that Aboriginal Australians living in remote areas
of the country are disproportionately affected by dementia, with rates approximately double those of non-Indigenous people. A new study shows
that Aboriginal Australians living in urban areas also have similar high
rates of dementia. The study is published in the February 9, 2022, online
issue of Neurology(R), the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. The study looked at Aboriginal Australians and Torres Strait Islander peoples.


========================================================================== "Given that the majority of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples
now live in urban areas, these results are critically important," said
study author Louise M. Lavrencic, PhD, of Neuroscience Research Australia
in Sydney.

"Aboriginal Australians have among the highest rates of dementia in
the world, so we looked at some of the potential risk factors that
may be facing this population." The study involved 155 Aboriginal
Australians and Torres Strait Islander people with an average age of
66 who were followed for an average of six years. During that time, 16
people developed dementia and another 20 people developed mild cognitive impairment, which includes problems with thinking skills and memory that
can be a precursor to dementia.

Once researchers adjusted for age, the rate of dementia was 36 cases per
1,000 person-years. Person-years take into account the number of people
in a study as well as the amount of time spent in the study.

Researchers looked at which factors were associated with an increased
risk of dementia. Men, people who worked in jobs that require no special training and people who took five or more medications were more likely
to develop dementia.

The researchers also found a higher rate of the APOE gene variant
associated with Alzheimer's disease, APOE ?4, among participants. The
rate among participants was 24% compared to average global estimates of
14% among white populations.

"While the study was not designed to examine these factors, the ongoing
effects of colonization, systemic racism, and the resulting social
and health disparities across Aboriginal Australian communities likely contribute to these higher rates of dementia," Lavrencic said. "Larger
studies are needed to look at these effects and identify culturally
appropriate and effective dementia risk reduction strategies."
Limitations of the study include the small number of participants and
that a number of participants initially assessed did not complete the
full study.

The study was supported by the Australian Dementia Centre for Research Collaboration.

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dreams in this free online course from New Scientist -- Sign_up_now_>>> ========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by American_Academy_of_Neurology. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.


========================================================================== Journal Reference:
1. Louise M Lavrencic, Kim Delbaere, Gerald A Broe, Gail Daylight,
Brian
Draper, Robert G Cumming, Gail Garvey, Wendy Allan, Thi Yen Hill,
Danielle Lasschuit, Peter R Schofield, Kylie Radford. Dementia
Incidence, APOE Genotype, and Risk Factors for Cognitive
Decline in Aboriginal Australians: A Longitudinal Cohort
Study. Neurology, 2022; 10.1212/ WNL.0000000000013295 DOI:
10.1212/WNL.0000000000013295 ==========================================================================

Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/02/220210085010.htm

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