Alzheimer’s more prevalent in minorities

A father and son share a good laugh

That hasn t changed

But a lot has

Justin Davis s father has Alzheimer s He said It s been a role reversal as opposed to me being able to look to him he looks to me

Alzheimer s has robbed 73 year-old Charles Davis of his short term memory

A lot of personality a lot of character changes he s just not the same person Justin said

As he struggles to care for his dad in Oakland 32 year-old Justin Davis says he often feels he s facing the problem alone

He s clearly not

A new Alzheimer s report shows African Americans are two times more likely to develop Alzheimer s than whites

And Hispanics are one and a half times more likely to develop the disease

One possible reason The two groups are also have a higher risk of developing high blood pressure and diabetes — conditions linked to Alzheimer s

Here at the BACS adult day care center in Oakland nearly seven out of every ten clients are African American

Program director Roberta Tracy says the new research does not surprise her

The healthcare and nutrition that minorities have early on I think contribute to the state of affairs Tracy said

Other experts suspect that because certain cultures respect the elderly so much they try to conceal their flaws — often leading families to ignore symptoms and delay treatment

Davis said Alzheimer s in the black community is like the elephant in the room It s not really spoken about

Justin hopes more African American families will now take the time to learn about the disease — because he says you never know when you may be staring Alzheimer s in the face

He said It s a big loss cause you lose that person that you re so accustomed to and you lose your relationship

While there is no cure for Alzheimer s researchers say you can reduce your risk by exercising both your body and mind