Dementia refers to the loss of mental clarity and of the ability to perform everyday activities; it can be caused by a variety of conditions. Dementia can affect people of any age, but the most common forms, such as Alzheimer’s disease, predominantly affect older adults.

We still have much to learn about the prevalence and course of dementia within racial and ethnic minority groups. For example, Hispanics/Latinos are, on average, four years younger than White non-Hispanics when diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, although overall diagnosis rates between the groups seem to match. The reason for this age disparity is unknown.¹

Risk factors for dementia are more pronounced in some minority populations. Low education and traumatic brain injury, both well-known risk factors for dementia, are more prevalent in American Indian and Alaska Native populations.²

Dementia Resources in Spanish:

National Institute on Aging

Información sobre demencia de NIA en español (Demencia Information from NIA in Spanish)

MedlinePlus

Información sobre demencia de MedlinePlus (dementia information from MedlinePlus)

Dementia Resources in Asian Languages:

MedlinePlus

मनोभ्रंश के प्रकार (dementia information in Hindi) PDF (280.6 KB)

痴呆的类型 (dementia information in simplified Chinese) PDF (386.4 KB)

認知症の種類 (dementia information in Japanese) PDF (386.8 KB)

치매의 유형 (dementia information in Korean) PDF (525.9 KB)

References

1. National Institute on Aging. 2014-2015 Alzheimer's Disease Progress Report. PDF (1.6 MB)
2. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Emerging LTSS Issues in Indian Country: Alzheimer's and Dementia. PDF (910 KB)

Page updated December 28, 2021