Trends in Alzheimer Disease Mortality Among American Indian and Alaska Native People Between 2011 and 2019.

• Published in: Alzheimer Disease & Associated Disorders
• Main Authors: Amiri, Solmaz, Jiang, Luohua, Manson, Spero M, Buchwald, Dedra S
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: unknown
• Published: eScholarship, University of California 2023
• Subjects: Humans; Alzheimer Disease; United States; American Indian or Alaska Native; Acquired Cognitive Impairment; Aging; Alzheimer's Disease; Dementia; Neurosciences; Neurodegenerative; Arctic; Rural Health; Brain Disorders; Alzheimer's Disease including Alzheimer's Disease Related Dementias (AD/ADRD); 8.1 Organisation and delivery of services; Health and social care services research; Neurological; Good Health and Well Being; Clinical Sciences; Cognitive Sciences; Geriatrics; Indian; Alaska
• Online Access: https://escholarship.org/uc/item/9jk5k5tw; https://escholarship.org/content/qt9jk5k5tw/qt9jk5k5tw.pdf; https://doi.org/10.1097/wad.0000000000000555

PurposeThe number of American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) people living with dementia is expected to increase 5-fold by 2060. Social determinants of health may explain disparities in the incidence of Alzheimer disease (AD) but remain largely overlooked.MethodsWe examined the time trend of AD mortality rates and associations of the percentage of AI/ANs, density of primary care physicians and neurologists, area deprivation index, rurality, and Indian Health Service region with AD mortality in 646 purchased/referred care delivery area counties.ResultsAD mortality rates significantly increased over time. Counties with higher concentrations of AI/AN people had lower AD mortality. More deprived counties had 34% higher AD mortality compared with less deprived counties. AD mortality was 20% lower in nonmetro counties than in metro counties.ConclusionsFindings have implications for prioritizing areas where more resources for AD care, education, or outreach are needed.