# Racial Disparities in Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias:  The Role of Blood Pressure Throughout Adulthood

> **NIH NIH R00** · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES · 2020 · $224,040

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias are a major public health burden and disproportionately affect
African Americans. The mechanisms underlying this disparity are not well-understood, but elevated blood
pressure could be key. Compared with whites, African Americans have higher prevalence, earlier age of onset,
and greater severity of hypertension. Thus, older African Americans tend to have greater cumulative exposure
to elevated blood pressure throughout adulthood than older whites. No prior research, however, has quantified
the contribution of hypertension to racial disparities in Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. There are
significant methodological challenges to addressing this important question, including (1) measurement of
cumulative exposure to elevated blood pressure from the age of onset of hypertension through late adulthood,
(2) measurement of cognitive function in diverse populations, and (3) possible survival bias, which is likely to
differentially affect African Americans. The scientific objective of this research plan is to identify the extent to
which elevated blood pressure from mid- through late- adulthood mediates racial disparities in Alzheimer’s
disease and related dementias. This project uses an innovative approach to examine this important question
with existing data from two diverse Northern California cohorts: the University of California, Davis Aging
Diversity Cohort and the Kaiser Permanente Northern California Multiphasic Health Checkup cohort, which
links mid-adulthood physical examinations with long-term medical record information. Analyses will address the
three major methodologic challenges outlined above by examining cumulative exposure to elevated blood
pressure as measured at multiple points in adulthood, developing a novel neuroimaging-based brain health
index in a diverse population, and quantifying the potential magnitude of survival bias using comprehensive
midlife data to account for differential survival. This research plan is complemented by a training plan that
builds on the applicant’s background in epidemiology and biostatistics and includes new training in (1)
measuring and modeling cognitive function in diverse populations, (2) clinical assessment and diagnosis of
Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias, (3) assessing brain health with neuroimaging, and (4) the biology
of vascular disease relevant to Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. The combined research and
training plans will prepare the applicant for a successful independent research career focused on identifying
modifiable determinants of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias in diverse populations. The
methodological challenges addressed in this project are common to many areas of research on disparities in
aging and cumulative exposure to risk factors throughout the lifecourse for Alzheimer’s disease and related
dementias.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9899176
- **Project number:** 5R00AG053410-05
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES
- **Principal Investigator:** Elizabeth Rose Mayeda
- **Activity code:** R00 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $224,040
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2016-09-01 → 2022-03-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9899176

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9899176, Racial Disparities in Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias:  The Role of Blood Pressure Throughout Adulthood (5R00AG053410-05). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9899176. Licensed CC0.

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