New study discovers how many LGBT+ seniors are living with dementia
A new study from the University of California at San Francisco and Kaiser Permanente Division of Research in Oakland, C.A. has found the first estimates of how many LGBT+ seniors are living with dementia. The research teams presented their findings at the 2018 Alzheimer’s Association International Conference in Chicago.
Following 3,700 LGBTQ elders (aged 60 and up) over a period of nine years they were able to determine the dementia prevalence rate was 7.4 percent – just short of the Alzheimer’s Association’s most recent estimate that the disease affects 10% of adults ages 65+.
Study author Jason Flatt, an assistant professor at UC San Francisco, discussed the importance of his research in a statement. “Current estimates suggest that more than 200,000 sexual minorities in the U.S. are living with dementia,” he said, “but before our study, almost nothing was known about the prevalence of dementia among people in this group who do not have HIV/AIDS-related dementia.”
“With the growing prevalence of Alzheimer’s disease dementia and the swelling population of LGBT older adults, we place a high priority on examining the intersections of Alzheimer’s disease, sexual orientation, and gender identity and expression,” he continued. “A more thorough and thoughtful understanding of this intersection will enable us to better meet the needs of LGBT elders living with dementia and their caregivers.”
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