Alzheimer’s Disease and Healthy Aging Indicators Cognitive Decline
Hamna Khuld- Psychiatry and Mental health
- Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience
- Geriatrics and Gerontology
- Neurology (clinical)
- Developmental Neuroscience
- Health Policy
- Epidemiology
Abstract
Background
In the United States (U.S.) and Puerto Rico, cognitive decline and resulting Alzheimer’s disease are major public health concerns for older adults. According to the Alzheimer’s Association (2021), by 2050, people ages 65 and above with Alzheimer’s are estimated to grow to 12.7 million—rising in prevalence and severity.
Method
The Alzheimer’s Disease and Healthy Aging Indicators Cognitive Decline study is an ecological study that documents cognitive decline or memory loss among adults ages 50 and above. The CDC collected data from 2015 to 2019 under the Behavior Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS). The surveys documented cognitive decline or memory loss experienced by 16,799 older adults by age, race, sex, and state of residency. (Please note that sex and missing variables were excluded from the observation, and 2,498 participants were analyzed.)
Participants
Combined data from 2015 to 2019 was obtained from older adults ages 50 and above. Participants were surveyed nationally on their cognitive decline by age, race, and sex. My analysis focuses on the correlation between race‐exacerbated cognitive decline or worsening memory loss in 12 months by age and state of residency.
Results
The main findings examine the association of cognitive decline by comparing races, using White, non‐Hispanic as the reference group. This analysis shows adults ages 50‐64 are 1.91 times more likely to report cognitive decline compared to adults 65 and above.
Association between cognitive decline and race showed Hispanic participants reported the highest rates of mean percentage of BRFSS for functional difficulties in both age groups—50‐64 years at 75% and 65 and older at 55%. Black, non‐Hispanics were the second highest group to report high rates of mean percentage of BRFSS for functional difficulties in both age groups—50‐64 years at 55% and 65 and older at 47%.
Additional analysis on age and its association with participants' state of residency shows the highest rate of cognitive decline for Asian/Pacific Islanders is reported in the West—in the state of Hawaii at 26.6%.
Conclusions
In conclusion, race is associated with cognitive decline depending on age and state of residency.