Alzheimer's Disease Burdens African-Americans: A Review of Epidemiological Risk Factors and Implications for Prevention and Treatment

The number of individuals with Alzheimer's disease is expected to increase steadily over the next 50 years, and this is especially concerning to African-Americans as they currently carry a disproportionate burden of the disease as compared to Caucasians. In conjunction with the APOE allele, there exists a group of potentially treatable cardiovascular risk factors that appear to be implicated in this disparity. In this paper, we review the contribution of these risk factors to Alzheimer's disease as well as racial discrepancies in their prevalence. Along with diet, cholesterol, hypertension and type II diabetes mellitus, differences in APOE η4 burden and effect among African-Americans and Caucasians are also considered. We conclude that the topics under review warrant further investigation, especially given their modifiable nature and undeniable link to Alzheimer's disease.