Military Risk Factors and Dementia in Veterans: The Impact of Race and Social Determinants of Health
Abstract
There are significant racial and ethnic differences in risk of developing Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD) that require immediate attention and understanding, especially for Veterans. Social determinants of health and ADRD may offer an important inroad to reduce health disparities. Investigating regional differences in dementia incidence may offer clues for understanding disparities and focusing dementia prevention efforts. This project aims to investigate the effects of military risk factors, social determinants of health, and how they interact with race/ethnicity on the risk of dementia. We propose to leverage the strength of a large and diverse, recently obtained dataset of older Veterans who get care at VA health centers across the entire U.S. We are addressing our Specific Aims using our recently assembled 5% random sample of all older Veterans receiving care at the Veterans Health Administration (VHA). In the first year of our grant, we published a manuscript examining dementia risk and disadvantaged neighborhoods (Aim 2). In the sample of 1,637,484 VHA patients, during a mean follow-up of 11.0 years, 12.8 percent of veterans developed dementia; those in greater disadvantage groups had an increased risk of dementia in models adjusted for demographic characteristics and comorbid conditions, and those residing within the most disadvantaged neighborhood quintile demonstrated the greatest risk. Findings suggest that within a representative national cohort of older veterans who received care, significant differences in dementia incidence existed based on neighborhood deprivation.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Oct 01, 2023
- Accession Number
- AD1219013
Entities
People
- Kristine Yaffe
Organizations
- Northern California Institute for Research and Education