Latino Life: Why Latinos Are at Higher Risk of Alzheimer's Disease
FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- As many as 1.3 million Latinos in the United States could be living with Alzheimer's Disease by the year 2050.
It's a startling statistic shared by the Alzheimer's Association. The organization also shared there is evidence indicating that missed diagnoses of Alzheimer's and other dementias are more common among Hispanics than whites. Alzheimer's Association regional director Stella De La Pena joined Graciela Moreno on Latino Life to discuss the need to raise awareness about the disease.
The Alzheimer's Association is teaming up with Valley Caregiver Resource Center and UCSF Fresno Medical Education Program to offer the Spanish Central Valley Alzheimer's Caregiver and Wellness Conference.
The conference is Saturday, June 30, 2018, from 8:00 a.m. to noon at the West Fresno Family Resource Center at 1802 E. California Avenue in Fresno.
There will be a presentation about Alzheimer's Disease, a live play about Alzheimer's caregiving, free health screenings and community resources. Call (559) 224-9154 to register.
Alzheimer's Association website
The Alzheimer's Association holds another conference in English later in the year. Here are some excerpts from the interview:
Graciela: So, are Latinos more at risk?
Stella: They are 1.5 times more likely to develop Alzheimer's disease, and that's because of hypertension issues, and also diabetes. We have a higher prone to diabetes, so that puts us at a greater risk.
Graciela: Do you find that people don't know what dementia is, or confuse it with just a regular symptom of old age?
Stella: They do. Often there's still a lot of stigma related to dementia and Alzheimer's, and so there's confusion about what dementia is, and about what Alzheimer's is.
Graciela: What is the difference?
Stella: There's different related dementias, and that basically is a disease that's creating problems with memory, enough to interfere with our daily lives.
And so Alzheimer's is actually a neurological disease and it is the most common form of dementia. And so for Alzheimer's we're talking about problems with
thinking, memory, behavior and it's a disease that currently does not have a cure.
WATCH THE ENTIRE INTERVIEW ON VIDEO.
