Health Disparities

Researchers Explain Why Black Americans Are At Higher Risk For Alzheimer's

The Alzheimer's epidemic no one is talking about

Originally published by Oprah Magazine June 24, 2020 authored by Meghan Rabbitt

Six years ago, Veronica Shanklin showed up at her childhood home in DeSoto, Texas, expecting a typical visit. Shanklin’s grandmother, who’d been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease at age 82, had moved in with Shanklin’s mom a few years earlier. Shanklin, a marketing executive in Chicago, wanted to spend some time with them and was also eager to help with caretaking for a few days; she was sure her mom, then 66, could use a break.