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P3‐365: Cognition, Depressive Symptoms and Vascular Factors Among Southwest Tribal Elders
Author(s) -
Gustafson Deborah,
Gachupin Francine,
Hendrie Hugh C.
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
alzheimer's and dementia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 6.713
H-Index - 118
eISSN - 1552-5279
pISSN - 1552-5260
DOI - 10.1016/j.jalz.2016.06.2031
Subject(s) - depression (economics) , cognition , geriatric depression scale , gerontology , medicine , overweight , dementia , vascular dementia , population , anxiety , type 2 diabetes , diabetes mellitus , obesity , psychiatry , clinical psychology , depressive symptoms , environmental health , disease , economics , macroeconomics , endocrinology
American Indian (AI) communities in the United States (US) are aging; the AI and Native Alaskan (NA) older population (non-Hispanic and Hispanic) was 212,605 in 2007 and is projected to reach almost 918,000 by 2050.1 In 2007, AI/NA older persons made up .6% of the older population. By 2050, the percentage of the older population that is AI and Native Alaskan is projected to account for 1% of the older US population. For those aged > 85 years in 2050, the AI/NA population is projected to reach 180,000, a 9-fold increase from 20,000 in 2010. The Southwest US is home to most AI communities. In 2007, 51% of AI and NA elderly lived in just six states: California (13.8%), Oklahoma (11.2%), Arizona (9.4%), New Mexico (6.5%), Texas (5.7%), and North Carolina (4.3%). Alzheimer’s disease is expected to reach epidemic proportions between 2010 and 2050, when the number of people with the disease is projected to more than double.2 Among AI/NAs, we expect to identify 23,850 persons aged >65 years with dementia in 2010, increasing to 100,980 by 2050.3 However, a PubMed search readily shows that rigorous studies of aging and cognitive disorders in AI populations are rare. Accompanying aging is a profound increase in vascular and metabolic diseases – many due to obesity. The literature suggests that risk factors for heart disease, diabetes and stroke are modifiable and also risk factors for dementia.4-6 In addition, adherence to medications for these conditions may be protective, and given this scenario, deObjectives: Few data exist on cognitive and depressive symptoms and vascular factors in American Indian (AI) elders. Since vascular risk factors increase risk for cognitive impairments, depression and dementia, and since AI elders are at high vascular risk, it is timely to assess the interplay of these factors in comprehensive studies of aging in this population. To begin, pilot studies must be conducted to show these types of data can be collected successfully.