Racial Disparities in Effectiveness of New Alzheimer's Drugs

Groundbreaking Alzheimer's drugs that target beta amyloid may be less effective for Black Americans due to higher exclusion rates in clinical trials. Older Black Americans have twice the rate of dementia as their white peers, but were screened out of trials at a higher rate due to insufficient amyloid levels. Hispanics also faced higher exclusion rates. The disparity in beta amyloid raises questions about who will benefit from the new treatments. Some researchers are exploring whether Black patients experience dementia due to causes other than Alzheimer's or if the disease manifests differently in diverse populations. The low enrollment of diverse populations in clinical trials highlights the need for a better understanding of Alzheimer's in underrepresented groups.