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What factors contribute to Alzheimer’s risk in older individuals living in Peru?
Maryenela Illanes-Manrique, M.D.
Universidad Cientifica del Sur
Lima, Peru
Background
Studies have shown that Alzheimer’s, like other chronic diseases, can develop as a result of multiple factors, such as genetics, environment, and lifestyle, rather than a single cause. This also includes social determinants of health, such as education, income, and access to healthcare, that also contribute to one’s lifetime risk of developing Alzheimer’s or other dementia.
Additionally, nearly two-thirds of individuals with Alzheimer’s and other dementia live in low- and middle-income countries. Peru is a low- and middle-income country with a rapidly aging population and a growing number of individuals living with cognitive impairment or other forms of dementia. However, little is known about the social determinants of Alzheimer’s risk for individuals living in this region.
Research Plan
Dr. Maryenela Illanes-Manrique and colleagues propose a pilot study to identify the social determinants of health contributing to Alzheimer’s risk in the older adult population in Peru. They will recruit over 200 individuals from the Peruvian Alzheimer’s Disease Initiative (PeADI). Half of the participants will be individuals with Alzheimer’s, and half of the participants will be cognitively unimpaired individuals. The researchers will administer questionnaires to each participant to collect demographic information, which will then be used to examine the association between specific social determinants of health and Alzheimer’s risk. Next, the team will perform informal interviews with a subset of individuals to study the perceptions and knowledge of the role of social determinants of health in Alzheimer’s.
Impact
Results from this study could provide insight into the social determinants of Alzheimer’s risk across Peru. Furthermore, the knowledge gained by this study could be leveraged to address modifiable risk factors for older individuals in this region.
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