Among Black Americans ages 70 and older, 21.3 percent are living with Alzheimer’s. While older Black Americans are twice as likely as older Whites to have Alzheimer’s or another dementia, research hasn’t yet identified the cause.
Higher rates of cardiovascular (heart and blood vessels) disease may play a role. Some studies indicate that after correcting for overall health and socioeconomic status, these differences disappear.
A history of exclusion from medical trials and a lasting history of discrimination from the medical establishment, including but not limited to the infamous Tuskegee syphilis study, contribute to high levels of mistrust of clinical trials among Black Americans. Nearly two-thirds of Black Americans (62 percent) believe that medical research is biased against people of color. The most common reasons Black Americans do not want to participate in a clinical trial are:
The fear of being a guinea pig, which 69 percent of African Americans name as a concern.
Other studies identified reasons such as not expecting to benefit from participating in research and not being given enough information about research studies. Many of these findings persist across socioeconomic groups.
In another study, Black Americans rated study risks, the requirement of a study partner, study procedures, the ratio of drug to placebo, and study location as important factors in the decision of whether to enroll.
Black Americans are also far more likely than other racial groups to be concerned about getting sick from treatment, with 45 percent describing this as a reason.
However, Black Americans are the least likely group to report cost as a concern, with only 24 percent saying cost and time are reasons not to participate.
