Astrid Suchy-Dicey, PhD
Dr. Astrid Suchy-Dicey, Ph.D., chair and scientific director of Clinical Neurosciences at Huntington Medical Research Institutes (HMRI) in Pasadena, has made a groundbreaking discovery about dementia prevalence among American Indians as part of the ongoing Strong Heart Study. The landmark study utilized a gold-standard methodology developed by Suchy-Dicey for the first prospective, population-based study in Native Americans, revealing that approximately half of American Indians over age 65 are affected by some form of cognitive impairment, with about 10% having dementia.
The study’s findings, published in Alzheimer’s and Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer’s Association, suggest that previous research relying on administrative and health records may have underestimated the true prevalence of dementia in this population.
It is because of the gold-standard methodology employed by Suchy-Dicey and colleagues that the high prevalence of dementias in these North American Indigenous populations was uncovered. This approach, which is consistent with protocols used by National Alzheimer’s Coordinating Center Alzheimer’s Disease Research Centers and as recommended by the National Institute on Aging and Alzheimer’s Association, has significant implications for health disparities research in other minoritized populations as well.
“Interpretation of race-based differences [in health disparities research] should be done with caution; such differences probably have more to do with social determinants than with biological differences,” Suchy-Dicey cautioned.
Until recently, the epidemiology of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias among American Indians and other Indigenous peoples has been critically underrepresented in mainstream dementia research. American Indians endure a high prevalence of contributing comorbidities, such as hypertension, diabetes, and depression, exacerbated by relatively poorer access to socioeconomic resources.
The study also revealed that vascular brain injury was as significant as Alzheimer’s disease in causing cognitive impairment among American Indians, with substantial overlap between the two conditions. This suggests a continued need for vascular prevention in this population, which may be lagging behind the majority population in reduction and prevention of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases.
Additionally, traumatic head injury was found to be an important contributor to other forms of cognitive impairment. These findings echo prior research on blood biomarker findings, which detected higher prevalence of markers for neuronal remodeling in this population than expected.
“Overall, our findings emphasize the importance of inclusive Alzheimer’s disease and dementia research, representing all populations, and especially with data gathering that is sensitive and knowledgeable to that particular group,” said Suchy-Dicey. “We hope these findings will be useful to clinicians and researchers, especially those interested in health disparities.”
The study was conducted as part of the Strong Heart Study, which originally began in 1988. Suchy-Dicey has been leading the Neurology ancillary cohort study, nested within the larger Strong Heart Study cohort since 2014.
The research was funded by grants from the National Institutes of Health, including the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (grant numbers 75N92019D00027, 75N92019D00028, 75N92019D00029, 75N92019D00030) and National Institute on Aging (grant number R01AG062801).
Huntington Medical Research Institutes (HMRI) is a pioneer in scientific research with a 70-year track record of groundbreaking discoveries that have changed our world. Today, our work is laser-focused on innovative biomedical research, investigating diseases of the heart and brain, and educating the next generation of scientists.
The diverse scientists at HMRI come from all corners of the globe to solve some of the greatest medical challenges, including Alzheimer’s disease, mental illnesses like schizophrenia, and cardiovascular disease. At HMRI, we are creating opportunities to serve society by fearlessly pursuing science and contributing to a future free from diseases that today affect millions of people around the world.
