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Racial and ethnic differences in trends in dementia prevalence and risk factors in the United States
Chen C, Zissimopoulos JM.. Alzheimer's & dementia (New York, N. Y.), 2018-10-05
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
Introduction Disparities in dementia prevalence across racial/ethnic groups in the United States may not be narrowing over time. Methods Data from Health and Retirement Study (2000 to 2012) were analyzed. Dementia was ascertained based on cognitive, functional measures. Logistic regression was used to quantify association between dementia and risk factors, including chronic conditions, use of drug treatment for them, separately for whites, blacks, and Hispanics. Results Disparities in dementia prevalence declined between blacks and whites and increased between Hispanics and whites. Adjusting for risk factors reduced but did not eliminate disparities. Compared to no hypertension, untreated hypertension was associated with increased risk of dementia for all racial/ethnic groups while treated hypertension was associated with reduced risk for whites. Diabetes treated with oral drugs was not associated with increased dementia risk. Discussion Racial disparities in dementia may be reduced by prevention and management of disease and promoting educational attainment among blacks and Hispanics.
Key findings
- Results Disparities in dementia prevalence declined between blacks and whites and increased between Hispanics and whites.
- Compared to no hypertension, untreated hypertension was associated with increased risk of dementia for all racial/ethnic groups while treated hypertension was associated with reduced risk for whites.
- Diabetes treated with oral drugs was not associated with increased dementia risk.
Why it matters
This study found that disparities in dementia prevalence declined between blacks and whites but increased between Hispanics and whites, and that adjusting for risk factors reduced but did not eliminate these disparities. Untreated hypertension was associated with increased dementia risk for all racial and ethnic groups, while treated hypertension was associated with reduced risk for whites.
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Study details
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 51/100
Published in a leading specialty journal. Scored zero for study design, sample size, effect reported, studied in people and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 9 / 10 | Tier 2 — leading specialty journal (Alzheimer's & dementia (New York, N. Y.)) |
| Journal's citation record | 1 / 4 | Alzheimer s & Dementia Translational Research & Clinical Interventions: journal h-index 84 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 1 / 5 | Rated “low” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 2 / 5 | 2018 — within 10 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 0 / 3 | Not stated whether this was studied in people — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 5 / 7 | Cited 272 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 4 / 5 | 27.2 citations a year over 10 year(s) since 2018 |
| Impact for its field and year | 4 / 6 | Cited 12.5× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 3 / 6 | Cited by 27 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 3 / 4 | Cited 117 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 2 / 4 | Last-listed author Julie Zissimopoulos: h-index 36 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 2 / 3 | University of Southern California: institution h-index 1,521 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 1 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 3 institution(s) in 2 countries |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 30364652) |
| Free to read | 2 / 2 | Free to read |
| Total | 51 / 100 | — |
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Read the original
- DOI: 10.1016/j.trci.2018.08.009
- PubMed: 30364652
- Original source →
- Free full text: Alzheimer s & Dementia Translational Research & Clinical Interventions →
Full text: free to read — OpenAlex lists this copy as free to read: the link above (checked 6 Feb 1020).
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
APA 7th
Chen, C., & Zissimopoulos, J. M. (2018). Racial and ethnic differences in trends in dementia prevalence and risk factors in the United States. Alzheimer's & dementia (New York, N. Y.). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trci.2018.08.009
Vancouver
Chen C, Zissimopoulos JM. Racial and ethnic differences in trends in dementia prevalence and risk factors in the United States. Alzheimer's & dementia (New York, N. Y.). 2018. doi:10.1016/j.trci.2018.08.009. PMID: 30364652.
BibTeX
@article{chen2018-30364652,
author = {Chen, C. and Zissimopoulos, J. M.},
title = {{Racial and ethnic differences in trends in dementia prevalence and risk factors in the United States}},
journal = {Alzheimer's \& dementia (New York, N. Y.)},
year = {2018},
doi = {10.1016/j.trci.2018.08.009},
pmid = {30364652},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trci.2018.08.009}
}
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