African Americans with the highest risk of Alzheimer’s disease: SLU

ST. Louis — As the holiday season is over, you’ve probably noticed signs of warning for Alzheimer’s disease or related dementia in older families.

George Groszberg, MDProfessor Samuel W. Fordice and Dean of Geriatric Psychiatry at St. Louis University School of Medicine notices that caregivers may be cognitively slipping in older people over the age of 65 during a family gathering. Said that there are many.

George Groszberg, MD (SLU file photo)

Grossberg, a SLUCare doctor, treats elderly patients suffering from a variety of neurocognitive disorders, including Alzheimer’s disease. He adds that African Americans are one of the highest-risk people due to genetic and socio-economic factors. Health conditions such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes are known to increase the risk of Alzheimer’s disease, and these health conditions are more common in the African-American community, he said.

Grossberg describes signs that warn of memory loss, especially short-term memory and recall, language and language problems, and increased disorientation and confusion. However, he warns that symptoms may have other underlying causes, such as depression, thyroid abnormalities, vitamin deficiency, or “brain fog.” This is one of the protracted effects of the long COVID-19.

“Over time, if that’s the only thing that’s happening, the’brain fog’should disappear,” Grossberg said.

Grosberg said older people with significant cognitive function may also be asymptomatic. He adds that Alzheimer’s disease begins to strain the brain more than 20 years before the clinical manifestations of dementia appear.

“We do not recommend taking expensive neuroimaging to determine if an adult under the age of 65 has early-onset Alzheimer’s disease. In many cases, a treatable one will be found. It is advisable to seek help during the early onset of clinical symptoms, as it may be. The sooner we find and treat it, the better and higher the level of function the person will enjoy. Probably. ”

George Groszberg, MD

According to Grosberg, a comprehensive dementia workup includes a variety of tests that can detect the root cause. This includes blood tests, special brain scans, spinal taps, prescription drug reviews to make sure they are not adversely affecting memory or cognition, and neuropsychological tests.

Currently, there are no interventions to prevent or delay Alzheimer’s disease for high-risk people, but Grosberg said preventative therapy is underway. Grossberg emphasizes the services of the geriatric psychiatry department. Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience At SLU School of Medicine. This department provides assessment and treatment services to elderly people with memory and cognitive dissatisfaction and their families.

This division also features a healthy brain aging program for families at risk of having a loved one with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementia. This program helps families identify risk factors for dementia and provides medical advice on how to mitigate these risk factors. Risk factors addressed include cardiovascular, nutrition, lifestyle, and heredity.

For more information, please call 314-977-4825 or email George Grossberg, MD. [email protected]..

About St. Louis University School of Medicine

Founded in 1836, the University of St. Louis School of Medicine is characterized by the first medical degree conferred on the western side of the Mississippi River. The school educates physicians and biomedical scientists, conducts medical research, and provides medical care at regional, national, and international levels. School studies are exploring new treatments and treatments in five major areas: cancer, liver disease, heart / lung disease, aging and brain disease, and infectious diseases.

About SLUCare Physician Group

The SLUCare Physician Group is an academic medical institution at St. Louis University, with more than 500 healthcare providers and 1,200 staff in hospitals and clinics throughout the St. Louis region. SLUCare physicians are the most highly trained in their respective fields, with a total of more than 50 disciplines, and are national and international professionals renowned for their medical research and innovation.