Exploring Race, Ethnicity, and Cognitive Outcomes in Older Age-Biology

This biology assignment delves into the correlation between race/ethnicity and cognitive outcomes in older adults, examining rate ratios for Alzheimer's disease (AD) and other dementias among African Americans and Hispanics compared to Caucasians. It explores the role of genetic factors, particularly the APOE gene and its isoforms, in explaining divergent rates of AD and other dementias. The assignment also compares cognitive impairment prevalence among different racial and ethnic groups, referencing data from WHICAP and ADAMS studies. Furthermore, it discusses how differences in study methodologies and concomitant health conditions might impact prevalence rates and highlights potential disparities in healthcare access and treatment compliance. This document is available on Desklib, a platform offering a wealth of study tools and solved assignments for students.

Running head: BIOLOGY
BIOLOGY
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Author Note:

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BIOLOGY
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RACE/ETHNICITY AND COGNITIVE OUTCOMES IN OLDER AGE :
What is the RR for AD and other dementias for:
African Americans (compared with Caucasians?)
Hispanics (compared with Caucasians?)
The rate ratios (RR) for the African-Americans when compared to that of the Caucasians shows that they are
about 2 times more likely to exist in comparison to that of the whites who tend to have cognitive impairment.
In the context of the Hispanics, the reports have revealed that they too are 2 times more likely to have
cognitive impairment on an average I comparison to the whites. The finding also show that the differences
exists more in the younger group in comparison to the groups including the older adults.
Can genetic factors account for the divergent rates of ADOD (AD and other dementias)?
Why or why not?
In relation to apolipoprotein E and its isoforms, there have been several markers as well as polymorphisms
identified. The findings show that more focus is given to the APOE isoform E4, which in turn has been
detected as a significant risk factor that is independent in nature.
Is cognitive impairment more or less common among African Americans and Hispanics compared with
whites and how is this related to age?
According to the reports, it has been observed that the African-Americans and Hispanics belonging to the older
age group have more tendency to suffer from AD or dementia as compared to the older Americans. In
accordance to the available estimates, the Hispanics are 1.5 times more likely to have dementia or AD while
the African-Americans are 2 times more likely.
Why are the overall prevalence rates lower in WHICAP than in ADAMS?
The overall prevalence rate as evidenced from the obtained figures shows that for the whites and the African
Americans who belong to the age group of 65 years or more are quite low than the figures whuch is obtained
for the individuals who are aged 71 or more. The figures obtained for the first group is from WHICAP that is
7.8% and 18.8%, respectively while for the second group it is from ADAMS which is 11.2% and 21.3%,
respectively).

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BIOLOGY
List ways in which the prevalence surveys were different and how they could impact prevalence rates
The ways in which the prevalence survey was different includes the fact that the inclusion of younger people
those who were aged 65–70 in the WHICAP sample were expected to be the result of the lower prevalence of
AD and other dementias. In this respect, one important factor which was required to be assessed was that
whether the studies includes nursing home residents or not.
What is going on with the APOE gene in different racial/ethnic groups? Summarize (see p55)
The research was conducted using the meta-analysis method which aimed to combine the findings from that of
5,930 people who are suffering from AD while the other 8,607 who were without the disease was able to show
that the white individuals inherited the e4 form of the APOE gene from one parent had a 3.2 times greater risk
of developing AD than whites who did not. On the other hand the Hispanics were seen to inherit the the e4
form of the APOE gene from either one of the parent possessing a 2.2 times greater risk of developing AD in
comparison to the Hispanics who did not inherit this form of the gene from one parent. The findings suggested
that AD was 14.9 times higher for whites who inherited the 34 form of the APOE gene from both parents and
5.7 times higher for African-Americans who inherited the e4 form of the gene from both parents. While on the
other hand, African-Americans who inherited the 34 form of the APOE gene from one parent and Hispanics
who inherited the e4 form of the gene from both parents did not have an increased risk for developing AD.
There is an existence of relationship between inheritance of the 34 form of the APOE gene and the
development of AD in African-American and Hispanic populations is still deemed as ambiguous.
What other differences between race/ethnic groups could be contributing to the differences in
prevalence rates
The differences that exists in terms of the prevalence of the concomitant diseases along with the assessment
to the health care services and its compliance to the treatment methods, is seen to have an impact on the
differences in the rate of mortality.