Hinds County is now fifth in the nation for Alzheimer’s cases

JACKSON, Miss. (WLBT) - There are at least 6 million Americans living with Alzheimer’s Disease. Mississippi is number two in the nation for Alzheimer’s deaths.

At an international conference in Amsterdam just last week, a county-by-county breakdown done for the first time showed an alarming statistic for Hinds County.

Hinds County has made the top 10 list of the nation’s most afflicted counties according to new research on Alzheimer’s Disease.

Teri Roddy said, “Fifth in the nation for Alzheimer’s cases. We’ve known for quite some time that the state of Mississippi is number two in Alzheimer’s deaths, which is a staggering statistic.”

According to the research that means at least one in six people over the age of 65 have Alzheimer’s Disease in Hinds County. One of the factors, more African Americans live in the area.

“First off, an African American population is about twice as likely to contract Alzheimer’s”, said Roddy.

Mississippi is now considered one of the nation’s most dire brain health hotspots. But there is hope with two new drugs. One already has FDA approval.

Roddy said, “The drug in years past some people might say well, my parents have been on drugs they have had those that were treating symptoms. This is actually treating the underlying cause of Alzheimer’s. What this drug Leqembi does and it is delivered, it is administered through infusion is it slows the progression of the disease by about 27% on average.”

A second drug is also showing promise.

“Donanemab which could slow the progression by as much as 38%”, said Roddy

From the Alzheimer’s Walk to outreach and volunteer efforts by the Alzheimer’s Association, Roddy says one key is information such as knowing women are twice as likely to get Alzheimer’s than men and it is no longer just a disease for the elderly.

“We are in for the very first time, the era of treatment. You know when you, when you go to lots of walks, and it’s amazing because every single disease out there deserves a walk and it deserves fundraising. But we still don’t have anybody standing up front wearing a t-shirt that says I’m a 10 year survivor”, Roddy said.

The counties ahead of Hinds County for Alzheimer’s prevalence are located in Florida, Maryland and New York.

Early detection is key in treating Alzheimer’s Disease. Also exercising, eating properly and making sure you socialize help to reduce the risk factors. You can find more on the website for the Alzheimer’s Association here.

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