The DRD2 Taq1A A1 Allele May Magnify the Risk of Alzheimer's in Aging African-Americans.

ABSTRACT: Alzheimer's disease is an irreversible, progressive brain disorder that slowly destroys cognitive skills and the ability to perform the simplest tasks. More than 5 million Americans are afflicted with Alzheimer's; a disorder which ranks third, just behind heart disease and cancer, as a cause of death for older people. With no real cure and in spite of enormous efforts worldwide, the disease remains a mystery in terms of treatment. Importantly, African-Americans are two times as likely as Whites to develop late-onset Alzheimer's disease and less likely to receive timely diagnosis and treatment. Dopamine function is linked to normal cognition and memory and carriers of the DRD2 Taq1A A1 allele have significant loss of D2 receptor density in the brain. Recent research has shown that A1 carrie

SUBMITTER: Blum K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5878111 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature