Scientists from Brigham Young University in Utah visited Alaska in early August to research Alzheimer’s disease in Pacific Islander, Native Hawaiian, Alaska Native and American Indian elders. The research is funded by a federal grant.
Dr. Justina Tavana, a lead researcher who was raised in Samoa, said the populations they’re studying have been almost entirely left out of current Alzheimer’s research.
“When we received this grant, we were really excited… just to really understand how Alzheimer’s disease is affecting our communities, and, since we are geneticists, figure out what the genetic profile is, so that we can find ways to better diagnose and treat Alzheimer’s disease and dementia in our communities,” Tavana said.
The bulk of genetic research on Alzheimer’s focuses on the APOE gene that is more common in white populations.
Dr. Perry Ridge, the other lead researcher for the study, said genetic markers for Alzheimer’s may look really different in people of different races and ethnicities. He said in the little research so far on Alzheimer’s in American Indian populations, the APOE gene didn’t predict Alzheimer’s.
He said there is likely some overlap between the populations they’re studying and existing research.
“But, there will probably be some distinct things as well,” Ridge said. “And how significant those are is anyone’s guess, but we need to answer that question before we know if we can follow the same treatment path that we’re [following] based on these large data sets that are mostly people with European ancestry.”
Ridge and Tavana said their research will deepen the understanding of Alzheimer’s across all populations. The team of scientists plans to return to Alaska next year to continue their work.
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Rachel Cassandra covers health and wellness for Alaska Public Media. Reach her atrcassandra@alaskapublic.org. Read more about Rachel here.
