CRI听力:Higher Rate of Alzheimer's among Latin Americans

William Gonzalez's world collapsed when his wife of more than 50 years developed Alzheimer's Disease. She can still perform basic tasks like putting out the laundry, but she seems to be in a world of her own. The loss of communication with his partner of half a century is the most painful part of the disease for Gonzalez.

"It seems to be a waste now because she just don't pay attention to it. That's kind of frustrating. But it's not her, it's the disease. There is no communication there."

A report by the Alzheimer's Association finds that African-Americans are about twice as likely to devolop Alzheimer's than white Americans, and white Hispanics are about 1.5 times more likely to develop the disease than white Americans.

Experts believe Hispanics may be more susceptible to Alzheimer's because they have higher rates of diabetes and high blood pressure, and also because they are living longer.

The report noted that Hispanics will constitute a much larger proportion of the older population compared to African Americans by 2050, 20 percent compared to 12 percent. And, Hispanics are the largest and fastest growing minority in the United States.

The Alzheimer's Association survey interviewed 872 Hispanic respondents between July 26 and August 18 2010.

Despite the high incidence of the disease, awareness is low in the Hispanic community.

The latest survey of Hispanics by the Alzheimer's Association - the largest private, none-profit foundation of Alzheimer research - found that 64 percent of those responding were not very aware or not at all aware of the disease.

The Alzheimer's Association warns that the number of older Hispanics with Alzheimer's and related dementias could increase more than six fold, from fewer than 200,000 cases today, to as many as 1.3 million by 2050.

Dr. Damon Salzman is a neurologist and director of the Memory Center at the Memorial Hospital Pembroke. He says the figures back up the anecdotal evidence.

"These latest figures really confirm what we have already known and been seeing in the outpatient setting, that a large number of people in the Latin community just come in to this with less knowledge or maybe less exposure than other folks."

The stigma many attach to mental illness is one barrier to treatment, and better knowledge could lead to better outcomes.

For CRI, I am Li Dong.