The Health & Aging Brain among Latino Elders (HABLE) study methods and participant characteristics

Abstract
Introduction Mexican Americans remain severely underrepresented in Alzheimer's disease (AD) research. The Health & Aging Brain among Latino Elders (HABLE) study was created to fill important gaps in the existing literature. Methods Community-dwelling Mexican Americans and non-Hispanic White adults and elders (age 50 and above) were recruited. All participants underwent comprehensive assessments including an interview, functional exam, clinical labs, informant interview, neuropsychological testing, and 3T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain. Amyloid and tau positron emission tomography (PET) scans were added at visit 2. Blood samples were stored in the Biorepository. Results Data was examined from n = 1705 participants. Significant group differences were found in medical, demographic, and sociocultural factors. Cerebral amyloid and neurodegeneration imaging markers were significantly different between Mexican Americans and non-Hispanic Whites. Discussion The current data provide strong support for continued investigations that examine the risk factors for and biomarkers of AD among diverse populations.
Funding Information
  • National Institute on Aging
  • National Institutes of Health (R01AG054073, R01AG058533)
  • National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (P41EB015992)