Program aims to increase Hispanic participants in Alzheimer's disease trials

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- It's a startling statistic on Alzheimer's disease. The number of Latino people living with Alzheimer's in the U.S. is expected to increase by more than five times in the next 40 years. A new ABC special, which will air Sunday on 6abc, takes an intimate look at how the disease is impacting Hispanic families.

One nurse practitioner and researcher in Philadelphia could be part of the solution.

Adriana Perez, Ph.D. is often at Norris Square Senior Center in North Philadelphia. When she's there, she leads a conversation that includes topics that range from happiness to heartache. The group of seniors participating in the group could be the key to better understanding and treating Alzheimer's in the Hispanic community.

"Latinos have higher risk factors that lead to Alzheimer's; diabetes high blood pressure," said Perez, who is a nurse practitioner, primary care provider and associate professor at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing, where she also works as chair of gerontology.

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The group Perez created meets twice a week as part of a clinical trial. It's called Tiempo Juntos por Nuestra Salud, which means "time together for our health."

Perez knows that the Hispanic population is underrepresented in clinical trials for Alzheimer's.

"Less than 3% of participants are Latino Hispanic," she said, adding that a number of trials exclude people who are deemed not proficient in English.

Latinos are 1.5 times more likely to develop Alzheimer's compared to non-Hispanic whites. Perez says underrepresentation in clinical trials could result in less effective treatment and less of an understanding of why the numbers of Alzheimer's cases are rising so fast in the Hispanic community.

"In the next 20 years, this is expected to increase by 800%," she said of the numbers in the Hispanic and Latino communities.

There are more than 200 participants in her clinical trial. It's the result of a partnership with the Association of Hispanic Nurses and the Alzheimer's Association, which provided a grant for the program. The trial also includes a focus on physical activity and wellness.

"We do a memory health test, we do blood pressure screenings," said Perez.

The hope is when this one-year trial is done, participants will consider medical trials.

"I feel like I'm doing something for the future," said clinical trial participant Susan Skerrett of North Philadelphia.

The program hopes to help researchers understand Alzheimer's in a way that's not just medical but cultural.

"What speaks to the value of Latinos is being together," said Perez.

Anyone interested in participating in the clinical trial can find more information here https://web.sas.upenn.edu/tiempo-juntos-x-salud/ or by calling 215-898-0504.