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Lin Z, Ye J, Allore H, Gill TM, Chen X. Early-Life Circumstances and Racial Disparities in Cognition Among Older Adults in the US. JAMA Intern Med 2024; 184:904-914. [PMID: 38805197 PMCID: PMC11134283 DOI: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2024.1132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2023] [Accepted: 01/29/2024] [Indexed: 05/29/2024]
Abstract
Importance Given the critical role of neurocognitive development in early life, understanding the association between early-life circumstances and racial disparities in cognition has important implications. Objective To assess whether racial differences in early-life circumstances are collectively and individually associated with racial disparities in late-life cognition among older adults in the US. Design, Setting, and Participants This cross-sectional study used comprehensive life history data from the Health and Retirement Study, a nationally representative survey of US adults 50 years or older. Data analyses were performed from August 9, 2022, to January 20, 2024. Main Outcomes and Measures Racial differences in early-life circumstances and racial disparities in late-life cognition were investigated using a Blinder-Oaxaca decomposition regression model. Cognitive outcomes, including cognitive score and cognitive impairment, were evaluated using the Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status. Early-life educational experiences were primary explanatory variables; early-life cohort, regional, financial, health, trauma, family relationship factors, and educational attainment were additional explanatory variables; demographic and genetic factors were covariates. Results The study sample comprised 9015 participants; 1634 non-Hispanic Black (hereafter, Black) individuals (18.1%) and 7381 non-Hispanic White (hereafter, White) individuals (81.9%). Among Black participants, the mean (SD) age was 69.2 (9.2) years and 1094 (67.0%) were women. Among White participants, the mean (SD) age was 73.2 (10.1) years and 4410 (59.7%) were women. Cognitive scores (scale, 0-27) were significantly lower among Black participants (13.5 [95% CI, 13.3-13.7] points) than among White participants (15.8 [95% CI, 15.7-15.9] points), while the prevalence of cognitive impairment (cognitive score <12) was significantly higher among Black participants (33.6 [95% CI, 31.3-35.9] percentage points [ppt]) than among White participants (16.4 [95% CI, 15.6-17.2] ppt). Substantial racial differences were observed in early-life circumstances. Overall, differences in early-life circumstances were associated with 61.5% of the racial disparities in cognitive score (1.4 [95% CI, 0.88-2.0] points), and 82.3% of the racial disparities in cognitive impairment (14.2 [95% CI, 8.8-19.5] ppt), respectively. In multivariable analyses, early-life educational experiences were associated with 35.2% of the disparities in cognitive score and 48.6% in cognitive impairment. Notably, school racial segregation (all segregated schooling before college) was associated with 28.8% to 39.7% of the racial disparities in cognition. These findings were consistent in a series of sensitivity analyses. Conclusions and Relevance The findings of this cross-sectional study suggest that less favorable early-life circumstances are associated with clinically meaningful racial disparities in late-life cognition. Policies that improve educational equity have the potential to reduce racial disparities in cognition in older ages. Clinicians may leverage early-life circumstances to promote the screening, prevention, and interventions of cognitive impairment more efficiently, thereby promoting health equity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhuoer Lin
- Department of Health Policy and Management, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Justin Ye
- Department of Economics, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Heather Allore
- Department of Internal Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
- Department of Biostatistics, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, Connecticut
- Yale Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, New Haven, Connecticut
- Statistical Editor, JAMA Internal Medicine
| | - Thomas M. Gill
- Department of Internal Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Xi Chen
- Department of Health Policy and Management, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, Connecticut
- Department of Economics, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut
- Yale Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, New Haven, Connecticut
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Livingston G, Huntley J, Liu KY, Costafreda SG, Selbæk G, Alladi S, Ames D, Banerjee S, Burns A, Brayne C, Fox NC, Ferri CP, Gitlin LN, Howard R, Kales HC, Kivimäki M, Larson EB, Nakasujja N, Rockwood K, Samus Q, Shirai K, Singh-Manoux A, Schneider LS, Walsh S, Yao Y, Sommerlad A, Mukadam N. Dementia prevention, intervention, and care: 2024 report of the Lancet standing Commission. Lancet 2024:S0140-6736(24)01296-0. [PMID: 39096926 DOI: 10.1016/s0140-6736(24)01296-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2023] [Revised: 04/08/2024] [Accepted: 06/16/2024] [Indexed: 08/05/2024]
Affiliation(s)
- Gill Livingston
- Division of Psychiatry, University College London, London, UK; Camden and Islington NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK.
| | - Jonathan Huntley
- Department of Clinical and Biomedical Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
| | - Kathy Y Liu
- Division of Psychiatry, University College London, London, UK
| | - Sergi G Costafreda
- Division of Psychiatry, University College London, London, UK; Camden and Islington NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | - Geir Selbæk
- Norwegian National Advisory Unit on Ageing and Health, Vestfold Hospital Trust, Tønsberg, Norway; Institute of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway; Geriatric Department, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Suvarna Alladi
- National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bangalore, India
| | - David Ames
- National Ageing Research Institute, Melbourne, VIC, Australia; University of Melbourne Academic Unit for Psychiatry of Old Age, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Sube Banerjee
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
| | | | - Carol Brayne
- Cambridge Public Health, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Nick C Fox
- The Dementia Research Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, University College London, London, UK
| | - Cleusa P Ferri
- Health Technology Assessment Unit, Hospital Alemão Oswaldo Cruz, São Paulo, Brazil; Department of Psychiatry, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Laura N Gitlin
- College of Nursing and Health Professions, AgeWell Collaboratory, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Robert Howard
- Division of Psychiatry, University College London, London, UK; Camden and Islington NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | - Helen C Kales
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, UC Davis School of Medicine, University of California, Sacramento, CA, USA
| | - Mika Kivimäki
- Division of Psychiatry, University College London, London, UK; Department of Public Health, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Eric B Larson
- Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Noeline Nakasujja
- Department of Psychiatry College of Health Sciences, Makerere University College of Health Sciences, Makerere University, Kampala City, Uganda
| | - Kenneth Rockwood
- Centre for the Health Care of Elderly People, Geriatric Medicine, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada
| | - Quincy Samus
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins Bayview, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Kokoro Shirai
- Graduate School of Social and Environmental Medicine, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Archana Singh-Manoux
- Division of Psychiatry, University College London, London, UK; Université Paris Cité, Inserm U1153, Paris, France
| | - Lon S Schneider
- Department of Psychiatry and the Behavioural Sciences and Department of Neurology, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Sebastian Walsh
- Cambridge Public Health, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Yao Yao
- China Center for Health Development Studies, School of Public Health, Peking University, Beijing, China; Key Laboratory of Epidemiology of Major Diseases (Peking University), Ministry of Education, Beijing, China
| | - Andrew Sommerlad
- Division of Psychiatry, University College London, London, UK; Camden and Islington NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | - Naaheed Mukadam
- Division of Psychiatry, University College London, London, UK; Camden and Islington NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
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Rahmani A, Najand B, Sonnega A, Akhlaghipour G, Mendez MF, Assari S. Intersectional Effects of Race and Educational Attainment on Memory Function of Middle-Aged and Older Adults With Alzheimer's Disease. J Racial Ethn Health Disparities 2024; 11:81-91. [PMID: 36576695 DOI: 10.1007/s40615-022-01499-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2022] [Revised: 12/09/2022] [Accepted: 12/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND High educational attainment may protect individuals, particularly middle-aged and older adults, against a wide range of health risks, including memory decline with age; however, this protection is less clear in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD). In addition, this effect may differ across racial groups. According to the Marginalized-Related Diminished Return (MDR) theory, for example, the protective effect of high educational attainment on mental and physical health shows a weaker protective effect for racial minority groups, particularly Black people compared to White individuals. OBJECTIVES This longitudinal study used data of middle-aged and older adults with AD with two aims: first, to test the association between educational attainment and memory, and second, to explore racial differences in this association in the USA. METHODS Data came from the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) study. The total sample was 1673 American middle-aged and older adults. The independent variable was educational attainment measured as years of education. The main outcome was memory operationalized as Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test (RAVLT) Verbal Forgetting percentage (VF%). Age, gender, and follow-up duration were covariates. Race was the effect modifier. Linear regression model was utilized to analyze the data. RESULTS Of all participants, 68 (4.1%) were Black, and the remaining were White, with a mean age of 75 years old. In the pooled sample, educational attainment did not show a significant association with memory, independent of confounders. Educational attainment showed a significant interaction with race on memory, with higher educational attainment having a different effect on memory in White patients compared to Black patients. CONCLUSION The effect of higher educational attainment on memory differs for Black patients with AD compared to White patients. To prevent cognitive disparities by race, we need to go beyond racial inequality in access to resources (e.g., education) and minimize diminished returns of educational attainment for racial minorities. To tackle health inequalities, social policies should not be limited to equalizing socioeconomic status but also help minority groups leverage their available resources, such as educational attainment, and secure tangible outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arash Rahmani
- Marginalized-Related Diminished Returns (MDRs) Research Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Babak Najand
- Marginalized-Related Diminished Returns (MDRs) Research Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Amanda Sonnega
- Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Golnoush Akhlaghipour
- Marginalized-Related Diminished Returns (MDRs) Research Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Mario F Mendez
- Department of Neurology, University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry & Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Shervin Assari
- Marginalized-Related Diminished Returns (MDRs) Research Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
- Department of Family Medicine, Charles R Drew University of Medicine and Science, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
- Department of Urban Public Health, Charles R Drew University of Medicine and Science, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
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Krishnamurthy S, Rollin FG. We must be clear that the root cause of racial disparities in Alzheimer's disease is racism. Alzheimers Dement 2023; 19:5305-5306. [PMID: 37436001 DOI: 10.1002/alz.13389] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2023] [Accepted: 06/12/2023] [Indexed: 07/13/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Sudarshan Krishnamurthy
- Department of Internal Medicine, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA
| | - Francois G Rollin
- Department of Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
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Tam B, Lin M, Castellanos C, Ulloa R, Kokot N, Hur K. Head and Neck Cancer Online Support Groups: Disparities in Participation and Impact on Patients. OTO Open 2023; 7:e87. [PMID: 37933274 PMCID: PMC10625668 DOI: 10.1002/oto2.87] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2023] [Revised: 08/13/2023] [Accepted: 10/07/2023] [Indexed: 11/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Objective To characterize the users of the head and neck cancer (HNC) online support group (OSG) and describe the perceived benefits of membership. Study Design Cross-sectional. Setting Online. Methods An administered survey with questions asking about demographics, cancer history, treatment choices, and feelings about OSGs was posted on the 5 largest HNC OSGs on Facebook. Results A total of 97 participants completed the survey. Mean age was 57.8 years old (standard deviation = 10.7 years). Most participants were female (50.5%) and Caucasian (92.8%). This cohort was well educated with 65.5% holding at least a college degree. Annual income was high with 41.8% reporting annual income of $100,000 or greater. The most common treatment modality was radiation (88.7%). The most common surgery was neck dissection (46.4%). Most participants preferred OSGs (70.8%) over other support group types. OSGs were heavily utilized with our cohort reporting using the OSG at least several times a week (80.0%). The top reasons for joining the OSG were sharing one's experience of HNC (76.3%) and gaining support from others with HNC (85.6%). OSGs were ranked as the #3 source of medical information for HNC behind otolaryngologists and oncologists. Membership in a HNC OSG had a minimal impact on decision-making. Conclusion HNC OSGs appear to provide a beneficial community for HNC patients. Otolaryngologists should consider incorporating HNC OSG as a possible supplemental resource for their HNC patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Tam
- Caruso Department of Otolaryngology‐Head and Neck SurgeryKeck School of Medicine of the University of Southern CaliforniaLos AngelesCaliforniaUSA
| | - Matthew Lin
- Caruso Department of Otolaryngology‐Head and Neck SurgeryKeck School of Medicine of the University of Southern CaliforniaLos AngelesCaliforniaUSA
| | - Carlos Castellanos
- Caruso Department of Otolaryngology‐Head and Neck SurgeryKeck School of Medicine of the University of Southern CaliforniaLos AngelesCaliforniaUSA
| | - Ruben Ulloa
- Caruso Department of Otolaryngology‐Head and Neck SurgeryKeck School of Medicine of the University of Southern CaliforniaLos AngelesCaliforniaUSA
| | - Niels Kokot
- Caruso Department of Otolaryngology‐Head and Neck SurgeryKeck School of Medicine of the University of Southern CaliforniaLos AngelesCaliforniaUSA
| | - Kevin Hur
- Caruso Department of Otolaryngology‐Head and Neck SurgeryKeck School of Medicine of the University of Southern CaliforniaLos AngelesCaliforniaUSA
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Liu C, Ma Y, Hofman A, Waziry R, Koton S, Pike JR, Windham BG, Power MC, Sharrett AR, Gottesman RF. Educational Attainment and Dementia: Mediation by Mid-Life Vascular Risk Factors. Ann Neurol 2023; 94:13-26. [PMID: 36966451 DOI: 10.1002/ana.26647] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2022] [Revised: 03/07/2023] [Accepted: 03/08/2023] [Indexed: 03/27/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Lower education is associated with higher burden of vascular risk factors in mid-life and higher risk of dementia in late life. We aim to understand the causal mechanism through which vascular risk factors potentially mediate the relationship between education and dementia. METHODS In a cohort of 13,368 Black and White older adults in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study, we assessed the relationship between education (grade school, high school without graduation, high school graduate or equivalent, college, graduate/professional school) and dementia among all participants and among those with incident stroke. Cox models were adjusted for age, race-center (a variable stratified by race and field center), sex, apolipoprotein E (APOE) ε4 genotype, and family history of cardiovascular disease. Causal mediation models assessed mediation by mid-life systolic blood pressure, fasting blood glucose, body mass index, and smoking. RESULTS More education was associated with 8 to 44% lower risk of dementia compared to grade school-level education in a dose-response pattern, while the relationship between education and post-stroke dementia was not statistically significant. Up to 25% of the association between education and dementia was mediated through mid-life vascular risk factors, with a smaller percentage mediated for lower levels of education. INTERPRETATION A substantial proportion of the relationship between education and dementia was mediated through mid-life vascular risk factors. However, risk factor modification is unlikely to fully address the large educational disparities in dementia risk. Prevention efforts must also address disparities in socioeconomic resources leading to divergent early-life education and other structural determinants of mid-life vascular risk factors. ANN NEUROL 2023;94:13-26.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chelsea Liu
- Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Yuan Ma
- Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Albert Hofman
- Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Reem Waziry
- Department of Neurology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Silvia Koton
- Stanley Steyer School of Health Professions, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
- Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - James R Pike
- Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - B Gwen Windham
- Department of Medicine, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS, USA
| | - Melinda C Power
- Department of Epidemiology, George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health, Washington, DC, USA
| | - A Richey Sharrett
- Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Rebecca F Gottesman
- National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke Intramural Research Program, Bethesda, MD, USA
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Bayram E, Holden SK, Fullard M, Armstrong MJ. Race and Ethnicity in Lewy Body Dementia: A Narrative Review. J Alzheimers Dis 2023; 94:861-878. [PMID: 37355902 PMCID: PMC10448838 DOI: 10.3233/jad-230207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/26/2023]
Abstract
Lewy body dementia is the third most common and costliest type of dementia. It is an umbrella term for dementia with Lewy bodies and Parkinson's disease dementia, both of which place a substantial burden on the person and society. Recent findings outline ethnoracial differences in dementia risk. Delayed and misdiagnosis across ethnoracial groups contribute to higher levels of burden. In this context, we aimed to summarize current knowledge, gaps, and unmet needs relating to race and ethnicity in Lewy body dementia. In this narrative review, we provide an overview of studies on Lewy body dementia focusing on differences across ethnoracial groups and outline several recommendations for future studies. The majority of the findings comparing different ethnoracial groups were from North American sites. There were no differences in clinical prevalence and progression across ethnoracial groups. Compared to people identifying as non-Hispanic White, co-pathologies were more common and clinical diagnostic accuracy was lower for people identifying as Black. Co-morbidities (e.g., diabetes, hypertension) were more common and medication use rates (e.g., antidepressants, antiparkinsonian agents) were lower for people identifying as Black or Hispanic compared to people identifying as White. More than 90% of clinical trial participants identified as non-Hispanic White. Despite increasing efforts to overcome disparities in Alzheimer's disease and related dementias, inclusion of individuals from minoritized communities in Lewy body dementia studies continues to be limited and the findings are inconclusive. Representation of diverse populations is crucial to improve the diagnostic and therapeutic efforts in Lewy body dementia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ece Bayram
- Parkinson and Other Movement Disorders Center, Department of Neurosciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Samantha K. Holden
- Department of Neurology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Michelle Fullard
- Department of Neurology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Melissa J. Armstrong
- Department of Neurology, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, FL, USA
- Fixel Institute for Neurological Diseases, Gainesville, FL, USA
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