Vascular risk profile and white matter hyperintensity volume among Mexican Americans and non-Hispanic Whites: The HABLE study

INTRODUCTION: Among vascular risk factors we hypothesized that an increased prevalence of diabetes in Hispanics would be associated with greater white matter hyperintensity (WMH) volume, which may contribute to cognitive decline. METHODS: A total of 1318 participants (60% female; 49% Hispanic, 51% non-Hispanic White; age 66.2 ± 8.9 years) underwent clinical evaluation and brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). WMH volume associations were assessed with age, sex, and ethnicity and then with vascular risk factors in a selective regression model. RESULTS: WMH volume was greater with older age ( \u3c .0001), Hispanic ethnicity ( = .02), and female sex ( = .049). WMH volume was best predicted by age, diastolic blood pressure, hypertension history, hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), white blood cell count, and hematocrit ( \u3c .01 for all). Elevated HbA1c was associated with greater WMH volume among Hispanics (parameter estimate 0.08 ± 0.02, \u3c .0001) but not non-Hispanic Whites (parameter estimate 0.02 ± 0.04, = .5). DISCUSSION: WMH volume was greater in Hispanics, which may be partly explained by increased WMH volume related to elevated HbA1c among Hispanics but not non-Hispanic Whites

The Health & Aging Brain among Latino Elders (HABLE) study methods and participant characteristics.

IntroductionMexican Americans remain severely underrepresented in Alzheimer's disease (AD) research. The Health & Aging Brain among Latino Elders (HABLE) study was created to fill important gaps in the existing literature.MethodsCommunity-dwelling Mexican Americans and non-Hispanic White adults and elders (age 50 and above) were recruited. All participants underwent comprehensive assessments including an interview, functional exam, clinical labs, informant interview, neuropsychological testing, and 3T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain. Amyloid and tau positron emission tomography (PET) scans were added at visit 2. Blood samples were stored in the Biorepository.ResultsData was examined from n = 1705 participants. Significant group differences were found in medical, demographic, and sociocultural factors. Cerebral amyloid and neurodegeneration imaging markers were significantly different between Mexican Americans and non-Hispanic Whites.DiscussionThe current data provide strong support for continued investigations that examine the risk factors for and biomarkers of AD among diverse populations