Thread by @alzheimerssoc

1/ New research unveiled at #AAIC2022 has found people who had encountered discrimination & racism displayed memory & cognitive problems in later life. Results suggest past events experienced by people in ethnic minority communities can have long-lasting effects on brain health.

2/ Dr Richard Oakley, Associate Director of Research comments: 'What’s shocking about these findings is that racism & discrimination doesn’t just have an immediate impact on people from ethnic minority communities, but can also lead to long lasting effects on brain health...

3/ '...increasing the chance of memory & thinking problems developing later in life.

4/ 'Of the 900k people living with dementia in the UK, 25k are from ethnic minority communities, so while these are American studies, it’s clear more also needs to be done to support these communities within the UK.

5/ 'Everyone deserves appropriate care when they face the immense challenges of dementia, but we know too many support services aren’t culturally aware, & we’ve heard from people in these communities that this is leaving them feeling unsupported & isolated.

6/ 'There's an urgent need of research & investment into exploring the experiences of ethnic minority communities, to ensure the development of more culturally appropriate services & resources...

7/ '...but for research like this to happen, the Government must commit to their promise of doubling dementia research funding.'

Read more about the study in @Daily_Express: bit.ly/3Siozro