Cultural And Economic Barriers May Put Latinos At Higher Risk For Alzheimer’s Disease

Latinos and Alzheimer’s Disease
WBEZ Morning Shift
Latinos and Alzheimer’s Disease
WBEZ Morning Shift

Cultural And Economic Barriers May Put Latinos At Higher Risk For Alzheimer’s Disease

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There’s a crisis brewing in the Latino community when it comes to Alzheimer’s disease, and Illinois is not immune.

By 2060, the number of Latinos in the United States living with the condition is expected to rise to 3.5 million. That’s up from just 379,000 in 2012.

No one knows exactly why Alzheimer’s cases is hitting Latinos so hard, but experts point out a few factors: Latinos are less likely to seek formal treatment for the condition than whites and often face language and cultural barriers when accessing care.

In this interview, Morning Shift explores the dynamics of Alzheimer’s disease in the Latino community in our area and what local doctors and organizations are doing to address the meteoric rise of the disease.