Research Shows Black Americans May Experience Brain Aging As Early As Midlife

As we deal with the impacts of an aging population, research about whose cognitive health is (and will be) affected most becomes even more important. 

According to the journal Alzheimer’s & Dementia, Alzheimer’s is expected to affect up to 14 million people by 2060, with minority populations most affected. Previous research from Neurology also indicated that minority racial and ethnic groups experience worse brain health later in life than White adults.

Rather than focusing on older adults (as other research has done), this cross-sectional study aimed to determine whether the known disparities in later life could be seen in midlife as well. Their participants came from two community-based cohort studies—a group of older adults and their adult children.

“We saw differences across race in markers of both neurodegeneration and cerebrovascular disease, but the cerebrovascular disease markers were apparent in midlife,” says study co-author and professor of neuropsychology at Columbia University Medical Center Adam M. Brickman, Ph.D. “In White and Latinx people, the age-associated increase in cerebrovascular disease seems to accelerate as people enter older age, but it was already accelerated in African American people in midlife.”

So, why do the researchers believe this is happening? According to Brickman and Columbia University Medical Center postdoctoral neuroscientist and study co-author Indira C. Turney, Ph.D., it isn’t due to genetics. They propose social determinants are to blame, namely racism. 

“What's really critical is to document and capture how different groups of people age. And [there’s] a lot of work left to do, but the next steps are to understand the mediators or the mechanisms that account for brain aging in different groups of people,” says Brickman.

The older population is growing and also becoming more diverse—42% of older adults in the U.S. will be members of minority groups by 2050, according to Health Affairs. However, the way we diagnose, manage, and treat dementia and Alzheimer’s is based largely on studies of non-Latinx, White participants. 

Addressing disparities in brain health, continuing to advocate for minority-centered research, and using studies like this one to improve early detection, diagnosis, and treatment of Alzheimer’s in minority populations is imperative. We must take thoughtful action to care for all members of our communities, especially those most at risk. This research is a step in the right direction.