African American Women Exposed to Racism Are More Likely to Experience Cognitive Decline

Key Takeaways:

African American women facing institutional racism are 2.66x more likely to experience cognitive decline, per a study of 17,323 women.
Chronic stress from racism correlates with type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and insomnia conditions that accelerate Alzheimer’s biomarkers.
Impacts range from daily microaggressions ( poor service) to systemic barriers (housing denial), compounding stress over time.
While the study confirms cognitive decline, further work is needed to pinpoint how racism accelerates Alzheimer’s pathology (amyloid plaques).

People who are frequently exposed to racial discrimination are more likely to develop disorders such as type 2 diabetes, insomnia, and poor stress management. In the long term, this could accelerate the risk of dementia and the onset of Alzheimer’s disease.

African Women

The discrimination situations described in the study can range from discriminatory treatment in service settings. to institutional discrimination such as housing discrimination (high-level racism).

According to a 2017 survey, experiences of racism are widespread among African Americans, with 50 percent or more of respondents in the study reporting such experiences. These institutional and everyday forms of racism have been associated with adverse health effects such as the increased risk of depression, sleep deprivation, type 2 diabetes, and hypertension.

A new study published in mid-July in the journal Alzheimer’s & Dementia: Diagnosis, Assessment & Disease Monitoring and conducted in the United States on 17,323 African-American women shows long-term effects on the cognitive health of people who regularly suffer from racial discrimination. To arrive at these conclusions, the research team focused on six specific questions based on the dementia indicator model called subjective cognitive function (SCF)

A link between racial discrimination and Alzheimer’s disease

The results indicate that the women in the study are exposed to stresses that, depending on the intensity of the discrimination experienced, can impair cognitive functions, especially memory. The situations described can range from poor reception by a shopkeeper (everyday racism at a low level) to institutional discrimination, such as refusal to grant housing to individuals (racism at a high level). Women who report high levels of institutional racism are 2.66 times more likely to experience cognitive decline than women who do not report such experiences.

“Our work suggests that the chronic stress associated with racial discrimination may contribute to racial differences in Alzheimer’s disease,” says Lynn Rosenberg, a researcher at Boston University who led the study.

Rosenberg also points out that more work is needed to determine whether exposure to institutional and everyday racism accelerates the progression of dementia to Alzheimer’s disease or increases levels of Alzheimer’s biomarkers.

In short, the chronic stress associated with racial discrimination can contribute to racial differences in Alzheimer’s disease.

FAQs:

How does racism physically affect the brain?
Chronic stress from discrimination triggers cortisol overproduction, damaging the hippocampus (memory center) and prefrontal cortex (decision-making).

Why focus on African American women?
They face intersectional discrimination (race + gender), amplifying stress. Over 50% report racial bias, per 2017 surveys, yet remain underrepresented in dementia research.

Is institutional racism worse than everyday bias?
Yes. Systemic barriers (jobs, housing) create prolonged stress vs. isolated incidents. Institutional racism raised dementia risk 2.66x vs. 1.4x for daily microaggressions.

Can reducing racism lower Alzheimer’s rates?
Possibly. Addressing systemic inequities (healthcare, wages) may mitigate stress-linked disorders. Advocacy groups push for policy reforms as dementia prevention.

What immediate steps can individuals take?
Stress management (therapy, mindfulness) and monitoring metabolic health (blood sugar, blood pressure) may offset some cognitive risks.

References

Coogan, P., Schon, K., Li, S., Cozier, Y., Bethea, T., & Rosenberg, L. (2020). Experiences of racism and subjective cognitive function in African American women. Alzheimer’s & Dementia: Diagnosis, Assessment & Disease Monitoring, 12(1), e12067. https://doi.org/10.1002/dad2.12067