There’s a growing racial disparity in the number of Alzheimer’s and dementia cases in this country.
According to the Alzheimer’s Association , Black Americans are twice as likely as their white counterparts to experience brain changes.
For those over the age of 65, about 14% of Black people have Alzheimer’s compared to 10% of white people.
The disparity is believed to be even more because many African Americans are not correctly diagnosed.
“We know that many Black Americans are fearful and distrustful of a health care system that has committed medical atrocities against them,” said Stephanie Monroe, Alzheimer’s Clinical Trials Consortium.
The Alzheimer’s Association expects by 2060 dementia cases in the Black community will increase fourfold.
Good Morning Cleveland anchor Mike Brookbank spoke with a Maple Heights woman whose mother, father, and now husband have been diagnosed with dementia.
She’s determined to break the stigma, encourage people to speak up, and hopefully help families like hers get ahead of Alzheimer’s.