Latinos and African-Americans with Alzheimer's Disease Live Longer

There is good news for Latinos and African Americans who have Alzheimer's disease. They have longer lives than Caucasians who have Alzheimer's disease, according to a recent press release.

Researchers at the University of California, San Francisco conducted this study. They determined that Latino's with Alzheimer's disease lived approximately 40 percent longer than Caucasians. Minorities who have a family member with Alzheimer's disease should plan on their relative surviving longer than previous estimates may have stated.

Additionally, African Americans with Alzheimer's disease lived approximately 15 percent longer than Caucasians. Both Native American Indians and Asians had the same lifespan as Caucasians.

Researchers caution that there could be other factors at play that account for the difference in lifespan. These could include differences in health and disease, family support, social support from extended family, and the types of treatment that is available.

Further, they caution that no conclusions should be made about any health or fitness differences based on race or ethnicity.

"It's not clear why Latinos and African Americans have an advantage when it comes to living longer with Alzheimer's disease. Possible explanations may be underlying genetic or cultural factors," said Kala Mehta, DSc, of the University of California, San Francisco, and member of the American Academy of Neurology.

Researchers were unclear what contributed to the longevity for African Americans and Latinos. Many of the participants in this study came from other countries and longevity for Alzheimer's patients could be different in those countries than in the U.S.

The researchers plan to investigate underlying factors that might lead to a longer survival time for all Alzheimer's patients.