Today a gerontology news feed sent me an article about Alzheimer’s “hot spots” and how people should be “cautious” about where they move and where they live. I could not access the article, as it was only available from the Wall Street Journal via a paid subscription. Never one to give up, I found it on another site, NewsXpaper. As a gerontologist, my first thought was the ridiculousness of the interpretation of “facts.” After conducting more research on my own, I still have that opinion. We cannot believe everything presented to us.
Many factors influence who gets Alzheimer’s Disease [AD] including health care quality, income, access to health care, sedentary –vs- active lifestyle, chronic conditions, diet, minority group, educational attainment, environment, social engagement, and body mass index. Approximately 2% of people diagnosed with it have a hereditary gene which means that 98% is not hereditary and that other unknown factors contribute. We also know that about 25% of persons diagnosed with AD have been misdiagnosed. There are numerous types of dementia and conditions that mimic AD, yet some older adults are told they have it without any imaging. Imaging is imperative for a definitive diagnosis of AD.
Researchers do NOT know the cause of AD but suggesting hotspots exist is absurd. Is there a geographical risk? No. The state you live in is not a “factor.” For example, relocating from a Gulf Coast state to Michigan will not improve your chances for avoiding AD.
I wanted to know where the oldest Americans live, who are the healthiest, and what percentage live in poverty, as those are the most prevalent dementia risk factors. The oldest Americans live in Vermont and West Virginia, not the Gulf Coast states. So what gives? The article specifically described the Gulf Coast states as geographically risky for getting AD. Without an analysis of the “facts,” it is impossible to ascertain that some states are “hot spots.”
My analysis below includes the Gulf Coast states of Florida, Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas. As shown below, the USA Census Quick Facts indicate that the Gulf Coast states have a higher percentage of older adult residents except for Texas. All of the Gulf Coast states rank as “unhealthy” with Mississippi, Alabama, and Louisiana in the bottom five. All of the Gulf Coast states have more Americans living in poverty than the national average of 10.5%. Almost twenty percent or one-fifth of Mississippians live in poverty.
Living in poverty impacts health care quality and access to health care, lifestyle, chronic conditions, diet, educational attainment, body mass index, and environment. Americans living in poverty can’t afford to get their teeth cleaned or obtain preventive care. They buy their groceries at the nearby dollar store because they live in “food deserts” without access to grocery stores. Older people living in poverty don’t retire because they have to work the rest of their lives, typically in service jobs. They don’t have access to the internet.
The overwhelming majority of older adults never get AD. The incidence is around 5% which means that 95% never get it. As a reminder to my readers, AD is one form of dementia and the majority of dementias are preventable and reversible and are directly related to lifestyle and chronic conditions. Some dementias are actually pseudo-dementia and examples are dehydration and polypharmacy related to medications.
Dementia interferes with normal functioning and impacts quality of life and compromises independence. Until poverty and healthcare equality are addressed, the Gulf Coast states will experience higher rates of dementia and AD than other states. There are no "hotspots." Readers, those are the facts.
|
|
65+ population |
Health Ranking out of 50 states |
Poverty Rate |
|
USA |
16.5% |
n/a |
10.5% |
|
Florida |
20.9% |
33rd |
12.7% |
|
Alabama |
17.3% |
47th |
15.5% |
|
Louisiana |
15.9% |
49th |
19% |
|
Mississippi |
16.4% |
50th |
19.6% |
|
Texas |
12.9% |
34th |
13.6% |
Alzheimer’s Research Looks at Hot Spots Across the U.S. (2020, 17 November.) Retrieved from NewsXpaper,
https://hppynews.com/11/17/01/52/alzheimers-research-looks-at-hot-spots-across-the-u-s/
Smega, J., Killar, M., Shrider,E.A., & Creamer, J. (2020, September 15). Income and Poverty in the United States: 2019. PDF. Report Number P60-270. Retrieved from https://www.census.gov/library/publications/2020/demo/p60-270.html
The healthiest and unhealthiest states, mapped. (2019, December 9.) Retrieved from https://www.advisory.com/daily-briefing/2019/12/09/healthy-states
The Population of Poverty USA. (2020). Retrieved from https://www.povertyusa.org/facts
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