Marketing Consultants to the Overlooked Disabled Community
| Home Page |
| About Us |
| We Are Able |
| Clients |
| Did you Know? |
| What's New! |
| Self Test |
| Disorders |
| Hot Links / Sites |
| Contact Us |
|
Whacked by insurers again
April 2010
WASHINGTON - The Associated Press reported millions of seniors who took popular private health plans through Medicare face sharp premium hikes this year - another sign spiraling costs are a problem even for those with solid insurance.
A study found premiums for Medicare Advantage plans offering medical and prescription drug coverage jumped 14.2% on average in 2010, after a rise of only 5.2% for 2009.
Some 8.5 million elderly and disabled Americans are in the plans, which provide more comprehensive coverage than traditional Medicare.
"These premium increases fit within a broader trend of increased financial pressure on the insured," said Lindsey Spindle, a vice president of Avalere Health, a data analysis firm which did the study.
"We see very large premium increases and a continued upward creep in how much out-of-pocket expenses beneficiaries are expected to pay, such as copayments."
WASHINGTON - MedPage Today noted Medicare ended a contract with a prescription drug plan operator handling 123,000 beneficiaries in 21 states because it denied claims improperly, the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) stated. The termination of New York City-based Fox Insurance Co. was immediate, CMS said. The firm isn’t part of the Fox media conglomerate headed by Rupert Murdoch. All beneficiaries enrolled in Fox plans could get meds through LI-NET, a program run by Medicare and administered by Humana, CMS added. Fox enrollees can choose a new Medicare Rx drug plan through May 1. Those who don’t pick a plan will be enrolled in a new Medicare plan. "Fox committed a series of violations, including improperly denying its enrollees coverage of critical HIV, cancer, and seizure medications," CMS asserted.
TORONTO - Nintendo's Wii improved motor function in patients after a stroke, without any safety concerns, a small, proof-of-principle study showed. MedPage Today noted patients who played two Wii games - tennis and Cooking Mama - over the course of two weeks shaved more than seven seconds off the time it took to do certain daily activities versus controls, stated Dr. Gustavo Saposnik, of the University of Toronto. A two- second change is deemed clinically meaningful, he stated at an American Stroke Association forum. There were no serious adverse events in either group. "We aren’t recommending patients go and buy or start playing Wii after a stroke," Dr. Saposnik said, noting results must be confirmed in a larger, clinical trial. Even if benefits/safety are confirmed, he said he doesn’t expect gaming to replace traditional stroke rehabilitation; it would complement it. Pamela Duncan, Ph.D., PT, of Duke University, said game consoles have been placed in nursing homes and outpatient rehabilitation facilities, even though their use hasn’t been evaluated extensively and systematically. She said repetition is paramount in stroke rehabilitation.
WASHINGTON - MedPage Today revealed U.S. health insurers hiked profits by 56% in 2009, when 2.7 million people lost their private coverage. The five largest for-profit insurers had a combined profit of $12.2 billion, states Health Care for American Now (HCAN). "The outsize earnings are a vivid reminder that without comprehensive national health care reform, the gatekeepers of our broken health insurance system always will put the short-term interests of Wall Street before the needs of millions of patients and a national economy plagued by joblessness," the report said. A spokesman for the nation's health insurers said their profits are reasonable and represent only a small part of overall increase in health insurance costs. The HCAN report attributed this year's profits largely to insurers' dropping coverage of 2.7 million people, who then moved onto public insurance plans such as Medicaid.
HAMILTON, ONTARIO - MedPage Today stated scientists reported chocolate may keep sweethearts safe from stroke. Sarah Sahib, of McMaster University, and her team reviewed three studies, two of which showed chocolate significantly reduced stroke risk, likely due to its flavonoid content. The third found no tie between chocolate and risk of stroke or death, noted their study presented at the American Academy of Neurology annual meeting. Like wine, chocolate has been spotlighted often as an indulgence perhaps with health benefits, such as improved vascular function and lower blood pressure. Other scientists warn it's still too early to draw conclusions about chocolate and stroke. "I would be cautious about making any kind of connection," said Dr. Joseph Broderick, chair of the neurology department at the University of Cincinnati.
BALTIMORE - From a driver’s lethal distraction to dehumanizing personal interactions, text messaging has a bum rap. For doctors treating patients with chronic woes, text messaging can be invaluable, asserts Johns Hopkins Children’s Center pediatrician Dr. Delphine Robotham. "For better or worse, this technology is here, and (texting) to a patient’s cell phone on an upcoming appointment, or a test, or to remind them to take their meds is a great example of how we can harness communication technology for a greater good." Study shows up to half of patients may fail to take their daily meds properly, with forgetting a top reason for non-adherence. At least in some cases, a text reminder may be all a patient needs, adds Dr. Robotham, who urges using appropriate texting among pediatricians at Hopkins Children’s. Chronic ills which require daily medication - like HIV, asthma, and TB, or daily testing - like diabetes, are great candidates for "texting therapy," she says.
AUGUSTA, GA - The commonly-used diabetes drug metformin sometimes has such a foul odor that people may not take it, experts tell HealthDay News. They urge people to let their doctors know if this oral drug’s smell is an issue, because different types - especially the extended-relief version - tend to have a milder odor, if any at all. So states a letter in the Annals of Internal Medicine. "Metformin is an excellent drug, but the immediate-release formulation may have an odor to it. The smell is fishy or like the inside of an inner tube. Because it smells like something that has gone bad, they may think the drug isn't good," explained one of the letter's authors, J. Russell May, a clinical professor at the University of Georgia College of Pharmacy at the Medical College of Georgia. He said "some metformin products on the market are extended-release and the drug is embedded and released slowly, over time. These products have much less smell, if any."
WASHINGTON - The Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), under the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH), found the brains of infants who die of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) produce low levels of serotonin, a brain chemical that conveys messages between cells and plays a vital role in regulating breathing, heart rate, and sleep. Scientists funded by NIH noted SIDS is infant death before the first birthday that can’t be explained after autopsy, investigation of the scene/circumstances of death, and review of the medical history of the infant/family. Scientists think the abnormality may cut infants' capacity to respond to breathing challenges, such as low oxygen levels or high levels of carbon dioxide. The findings were in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Dr. Alan Guttmacher, NICHD acting director, said, "The findings provide important clues as to the biological basis of SIDS and may lead to ways to identify infants most at risk as well as additional strategies for reducing the risk of SIDS for all infants."
PADOVA, ITALY - Reuters Health disclosed gaining weight after 50 boosts the risk of becoming disabled, especially if he/she is already obese. The findings "emphasize the importance of preventing and treating obesity in older adults for the preservation of function and independence," Dr. Luca Busetto, of the University of Padova and his team conclude in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. While there’s strong evidence that being obese in old age is tied to a greater likelihood of being disabled and speedier age-related decline, less is known about how weight gain or loss in older people affects their ability to function, Dr. Busetto and his team say. To investigate, they studied 2,910 men and women 65 or older, all of whom reported how much they weighed at 50 (but not whether or not they were disabled at this age). Scientists defined disability as having difficulty performing at least one activity of daily living, such as showering or dressing oneself.
NEW YORK - HealthDay News disclosed severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is related to lower cognitive function in older adults, say Mount Sinai School of Medicine scientists. They compared cognitive performance in over 4,150 adults with and without COPD and found individuals with severe COPD had significantly lower cognitive function than those without, even after controlling for factors such as co-morbidities. Results were in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. "Our findings should raise awareness that adults with severe COPD are at greater risk for developing cognitive impairment, which may make managing their COPD more challenging, and will likely further worsen their general health and quality of life," wrote lead author Dr. William W. Hung, assistant professor at Mount Sinai.
BOSTON - USA TODAY reported the risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE), a rare but potentially deadly clot-forming ill, is three times greater for travelers than for those not cramped for many hours in airplanes or other transportation. A report in the Annals of Internal Medicine warns travelers of staying hydrated and mobile to help prevent VTE during long trips. VTE is a blood clot in the deep veins of the leg or pelvis that can cause death in hours if a piece of the clot travels to the lungs or heart. The clotting is also known as deep vein thrombosis. Symptoms include swelling, pain, and redness in the leg. "It's been conventional wisdom that there is a risk (related to) long-distance travel, but this is the first research to support the theory," says researcher Dariush Mozaffarian, assistant professor in the Dept. of Epidemiology at Harvard Medical School. The overall risks of VTE are small, but increases on longer trips, making the chances of developing a fatal attack about 1 in 20 million, says Jack Hirsh, panel chair of the American College of Chest Physicians, which issued Antithrombotic Guidelines 2008.
NEW YORK - ScienceDaily notes that eating a Mediterranean diet seems to lead to less risk of mild cognitive impairment - stage between normal aging and dementia - or of going from mild cognitive impairment into Alzheimer's disease, stated a report in the Archives of Neurology. "Among behavioral traits, diet may play an important role in the cause/prevention of Alzheimer's," authors wrote. This diet stresses fish, fruits, vegetables, legumes, cereals, and unsaturated fatty acids; low on dairy products, meat and saturated fats, and moderate alcohol drinking. Dr. Nikolaos Scarmeas, and his team at Columbia University Medical Center figured a score for adherence to the Mediterranean diet among 1,393 people with no cognitive problems and 482 patients with mild cognitive impairment. Over an average of 4.5 years of follow-up, 275 of the 1,393 who didn’t have mild cognitive impairment developed it versus the 33% who had the lowest scores for Mediterranean diet adherence, the one-third with the highest scores for Mediterranean diet adherence had a 28% lower risk of developing mild cognitive impairment.
HONG KONG - A study of people who suffer mini-strokes called silent cerebral infarcts could help explain normal-tension glaucoma, Hong Kong ophthalmologists reported to HealthDay News. Glaucoma is progressive loss of vision due to deterioration of the optic nerves, which carry signals from eyes to the brain. It’s usually attributed to abnormally high pressure of eye fluid, but can occur in some people who have normal intraocular pressure, which puzzles eye doctors. This study of 286 people with normal-tension glaucoma found a high rate of silent cerebral infarcts among those whose vision loss progressed more rapidly. The finding was in an issue of Ophthalmology. ‘We feel our study does cast light on the pathogenesis of normal-tension glaucoma," says lead author, Dr. Dexter Y.L. Leung, deputy coordinator of Hong Kong Eye Hospital’s glaucoma service. "We postulate that vascular [blood vessel] risk factors may be interacting with intraocular pressure in causing glaucoma optic neuropathy."
GOLDEN VALLEY, MN - Patients with higher education and are more impaired by Parkinson’s disease appear to require treatment for symptoms earlier than other patients, states a report online at Archives of Neurology. This study was funded by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke at the U.S. National Institutes of Health. "Parkinson’s is a chronic, progressive neurodegenerative (ill) that leads to significant morbidity, disability, and increased likelihood of institutionalization," the authors write. "In view of the potential for short-term and long-term drug complications, symptomatic treatment is delayed customarily until the severity of motor symptoms results in functional impairment. Start of symptomatic treatment is deemed an early indicator of progression in Parkinson’s and is used as an important benchmark in clinical trials." Dr. Sotirios Parashos, of the Struthers Parkinson’s Center, and his team took data from 413 patients with early, untreated Parkinson’s who were in two experimental drug trials. Investigators used clinical judgment to decide when participants reached dysfunction sufficient to require symptomatic therapy on: walking, activities of daily living, or occupational status, the authors write.
ROCHESTER, NY - University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC) scientists found a way to block the genetic flaw at the heart of a common Muscular Dystrophy (MD) form. The study in the journal Science, could pave the way for therapies that essentially reverse the disease symptoms. Scientists used a synthetic molecule to break up deposits of toxic genetic material and re-establish cellular activity the disease disrupted. Because scientists see potentially all of the symptoms of myotonic dystrophy - the most common form of MD in adults - flow from this single genetic flaw, neutralizing it potentially could restore muscle function in people with the disease. "This study establishes a proof-of-concept that could be followed to develop successful treatment for myotonic dystrophy," said neurologist Dr. Charles Thornton, senior author of the study and co-director of the URMC's Wellstone Muscular Dystrophy Cooperative Research Center.
WASHINGTON - Hispanics and African-Americans are much more likely than whites to get Alzheimer's disease and other dementias, new figures from the Alzheimer's Association show, MedPage Today reported. African-Americans are about twice as likely as whites to get these ills, and Hispanics are about 1.5 times as likely, the Alzheimer's Disease Facts and Figures report states. Still, white males make up the great majority of the 5.3 million Americans with the disease. Scientists aren't sure what genetic factors predispose people to Alzheimer's, but African-Americans and Hispanics have a greater risk of hypertension and diabetes - known risks for dementias, the association stated. Low education and low income - more common among African-Americans and Hispanics - also increase Alzheimer's risk, the report noted. "Alzheimer's is the single largest, looming, unaddressed public health threat facing the nation, but we now know the threat is even more substantial in the African-American and Hispanic communities," said Harry Johns, association president/CEO.
WASHINGTON - MedPage Today noted Medicare ended a contract with a prescription drug plan operator handling 123,000 beneficiaries in 21 states because it denied claims improperly, the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) stated. The termination of New York City-based Fox Insurance Co. was immediate, CMS said. The firm isn’t part of the Fox media conglomerate headed by Rupert Murdoch. All beneficiaries enrolled in Fox plans could get meds through LI-NET, a program run by Medicare and administered by Humana, CMS added. Fox enrollees can choose a new Medicare Rx drug plan through May 1. Those who don’t pick a plan will be enrolled in a new Medicare plan. "Fox committed a series of violations, including improperly denying its enrollees coverage of critical HIV, cancer, and seizure medications," CMS asserted.
TORONTO - Nintendo's Wii improved motor function in patients after a stroke, without any safety concerns, a small, proof-of-principle study showed. MedPage Today noted patients who played two Wii games - tennis and Cooking Mama - over the course of two weeks shaved more than seven seconds off the time it took to do certain daily activities versus controls, stated Dr. Gustavo Saposnik, of the University of Toronto. A two- second change is deemed clinically meaningful, he stated at an American Stroke Association forum. There were no serious adverse events in either group. "We aren’t recommending patients go and buy or start playing Wii after a stroke," Dr. Saposnik said, noting results must be confirmed in a larger, clinical trial. Even if benefits/safety are confirmed, he said he doesn’t expect gaming to replace traditional stroke rehabilitation; it would complement it. Pamela Duncan, Ph.D., PT, of Duke University, said game consoles have been placed in nursing homes and outpatient rehabilitation facilities, even though their use hasn’t been evaluated extensively and systematically. She said repetition is paramount in stroke rehabilitation.
WASHINGTON - MedPage Today revealed U.S. health insurers hiked profits by 56% in 2009, when 2.7 million people lost their private coverage. The five largest for-profit insurers had a combined profit of $12.2 billion, states Health Care for American Now (HCAN). "The outsize earnings are a vivid reminder that without comprehensive national health care reform, the gatekeepers of our broken health insurance system always will put the short-term interests of Wall Street before the needs of millions of patients and a national economy plagued by joblessness," the report said. A spokesman for the nation's health insurers said their profits are reasonable and represent only a small part of overall increase in health insurance costs. The HCAN report attributed this year's profits largely to insurers' dropping coverage of 2.7 million people, who then moved onto public insurance plans such as Medicaid.
HAMILTON, ONTARIO - MedPage Today stated scientists reported chocolate may keep sweethearts safe from stroke. Sarah Sahib, of McMaster University, and her team reviewed three studies, two of which showed chocolate significantly reduced stroke risk, likely due to its flavonoid content. The third found no tie between chocolate and risk of stroke or death, noted their study presented at the American Academy of Neurology annual meeting. Like wine, chocolate has been spotlighted often as an indulgence perhaps with health benefits, such as improved vascular function and lower blood pressure. Other scientists warn it's still too early to draw conclusions about chocolate and stroke. "I would be cautious about making any kind of connection," said Dr. Joseph Broderick, chair of the neurology department at the University of Cincinnati.
BALTIMORE - From a driver’s lethal distraction to dehumanizing personal interactions, text messaging has a bum rap. For doctors treating patients with chronic woes, text messaging can be invaluable, asserts Johns Hopkins Children’s Center pediatrician Dr. Delphine Robotham. "For better or worse, this technology is here, and (texting) to a patient’s cell phone on an upcoming appointment, or a test, or to remind them to take their meds is a great example of how we can harness communication technology for a greater good." Study shows up to half of patients may fail to take their daily meds properly, with forgetting a top reason for non-adherence. At least in some cases, a text reminder may be all a patient needs, adds Dr. Robotham, who urges using appropriate texting among pediatricians at Hopkins Children’s. Chronic ills which require daily medication - like HIV, asthma, and TB, or daily testing - like diabetes, are great candidates for "texting therapy," she says.
AUGUSTA, GA - The commonly-used diabetes drug metformin sometimes has such a foul odor that people may not take it, experts tell HealthDay News. They urge people to let their doctors know if this oral drug’s smell is an issue, because different types - especially the extended-relief version - tend to have a milder odor, if any at all. So states a letter in the Annals of Internal Medicine. "Metformin is an excellent drug, but the immediate-release formulation may have an odor to it. The smell is fishy or like the inside of an inner tube. Because it smells like something that has gone bad, they may think the drug isn't good," explained one of the letter's authors, J. Russell May, a clinical professor at the University of Georgia College of Pharmacy at the Medical College of Georgia. He said "some metformin products on the market are extended-release and the drug is embedded and released slowly, over time. These products have much less smell, if any."
WASHINGTON - The Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), under the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH), found the brains of infants who die of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) produce low levels of serotonin, a brain chemical that conveys messages between cells and plays a vital role in regulating breathing, heart rate, and sleep. Scientists funded by NIH noted SIDS is infant death before the first birthday that can’t be explained after autopsy, investigation of the scene/circumstances of death, and review of the medical history of the infant/family. Scientists think the abnormality may cut infants' capacity to respond to breathing challenges, such as low oxygen levels or high levels of carbon dioxide. The findings were in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Dr. Alan Guttmacher, NICHD acting director, said, "The findings provide important clues as to the biological basis of SIDS and may lead to ways to identify infants most at risk as well as additional strategies for reducing the risk of SIDS for all infants."
PADOVA, ITALY - Reuters Health disclosed gaining weight after 50 boosts the risk of becoming disabled, especially if he/she is already obese. The findings "emphasize the importance of preventing and treating obesity in older adults for the preservation of function and independence," Dr. Luca Busetto, of the University of Padova and his team conclude in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. While there’s strong evidence that being obese in old age is tied to a greater likelihood of being disabled and speedier age-related decline, less is known about how weight gain or loss in older people affects their ability to function, Dr. Busetto and his team say. To investigate, they studied 2,910 men and women 65 or older, all of whom reported how much they weighed at 50 (but not whether or not they were disabled at this age). Scientists defined disability as having difficulty performing at least one activity of daily living, such as showering or dressing oneself.
NEW YORK - HealthDay News disclosed severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is related to lower cognitive function in older adults, say Mount Sinai School of Medicine scientists. They compared cognitive performance in over 4,150 adults with and without COPD and found individuals with severe COPD had significantly lower cognitive function than those without, even after controlling for factors such as co-morbidities. Results were in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. "Our findings should raise awareness that adults with severe COPD are at greater risk for developing cognitive impairment, which may make managing their COPD more challenging, and will likely further worsen their general health and quality of life," wrote lead author Dr. William W. Hung, assistant professor at Mount Sinai.
BOSTON - USA TODAY reported the risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE), a rare but potentially deadly clot-forming ill, is three times greater for travelers than for those not cramped for many hours in airplanes or other transportation. A report in the Annals of Internal Medicine warns travelers of staying hydrated and mobile to help prevent VTE during long trips. VTE is a blood clot in the deep veins of the leg or pelvis that can cause death in hours if a piece of the clot travels to the lungs or heart. The clotting is also known as deep vein thrombosis. Symptoms include swelling, pain, and redness in the leg. "It's been conventional wisdom that there is a risk (related to) long-distance travel, but this is the first research to support the theory," says researcher Dariush Mozaffarian, assistant professor in the Dept. of Epidemiology at Harvard Medical School. The overall risks of VTE are small, but increases on longer trips, making the chances of developing a fatal attack about 1 in 20 million, says Jack Hirsh, panel chair of the American College of Chest Physicians, which issued Antithrombotic Guidelines 2008.
NEW YORK - ScienceDaily notes that eating a Mediterranean diet seems to lead to less risk of mild cognitive impairment - stage between normal aging and dementia - or of going from mild cognitive impairment into Alzheimer's disease, stated a report in the Archives of Neurology. "Among behavioral traits, diet may play an important role in the cause/prevention of Alzheimer's," authors wrote. This diet stresses fish, fruits, vegetables, legumes, cereals, and unsaturated fatty acids; low on dairy products, meat and saturated fats, and moderate alcohol drinking. Dr. Nikolaos Scarmeas, and his team at Columbia University Medical Center figured a score for adherence to the Mediterranean diet among 1,393 people with no cognitive problems and 482 patients with mild cognitive impairment. Over an average of 4.5 years of follow-up, 275 of the 1,393 who didn’t have mild cognitive impairment developed it versus the 33% who had the lowest scores for Mediterranean diet adherence, the one-third with the highest scores for Mediterranean diet adherence had a 28% lower risk of developing mild cognitive impairment.
HONG KONG - A study of people who suffer mini-strokes called silent cerebral infarcts could help explain normal-tension glaucoma, Hong Kong ophthalmologists reported to HealthDay News. Glaucoma is progressive loss of vision due to deterioration of the optic nerves, which carry signals from eyes to the brain. It’s usually attributed to abnormally high pressure of eye fluid, but can occur in some people who have normal intraocular pressure, which puzzles eye doctors. This study of 286 people with normal-tension glaucoma found a high rate of silent cerebral infarcts among those whose vision loss progressed more rapidly. The finding was in an issue of Ophthalmology. ‘We feel our study does cast light on the pathogenesis of normal-tension glaucoma," says lead author, Dr. Dexter Y.L. Leung, deputy coordinator of Hong Kong Eye Hospital’s glaucoma service. "We postulate that vascular [blood vessel] risk factors may be interacting with intraocular pressure in causing glaucoma optic neuropathy."
GOLDEN VALLEY, MN - Patients with higher education and are more impaired by Parkinson’s disease appear to require treatment for symptoms earlier than other patients, states a report online at Archives of Neurology. This study was funded by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke at the U.S. National Institutes of Health. "Parkinson’s is a chronic, progressive neurodegenerative (ill) that leads to significant morbidity, disability, and increased likelihood of institutionalization," the authors write. "In view of the potential for short-term and long-term drug complications, symptomatic treatment is delayed customarily until the severity of motor symptoms results in functional impairment. Start of symptomatic treatment is deemed an early indicator of progression in Parkinson’s and is used as an important benchmark in clinical trials." Dr. Sotirios Parashos, of the Struthers Parkinson’s Center, and his team took data from 413 patients with early, untreated Parkinson’s who were in two experimental drug trials. Investigators used clinical judgment to decide when participants reached dysfunction sufficient to require symptomatic therapy on: walking, activities of daily living, or occupational status, the authors write.
ROCHESTER, NY - University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC) scientists found a way to block the genetic flaw at the heart of a common Muscular Dystrophy (MD) form. The study in the journal Science, could pave the way for therapies that essentially reverse the disease symptoms. Scientists used a synthetic molecule to break up deposits of toxic genetic material and re-establish cellular activity the disease disrupted. Because scientists see potentially all of the symptoms of myotonic dystrophy - the most common form of MD in adults - flow from this single genetic flaw, neutralizing it potentially could restore muscle function in people with the disease. "This study establishes a proof-of-concept that could be followed to develop successful treatment for myotonic dystrophy," said neurologist Dr. Charles Thornton, senior author of the study and co-director of the URMC's Wellstone Muscular Dystrophy Cooperative Research Center.
WASHINGTON - Hispanics and African-Americans are much more likely than whites to get Alzheimer's disease and other dementias, new figures from the Alzheimer's Association show, MedPage Today reported. African-Americans are about twice as likely as whites to get these ills, and Hispanics are about 1.5 times as likely, the Alzheimer's Disease Facts and Figures report states. Still, white males make up the great majority of the 5.3 million Americans with the disease. Scientists aren't sure what genetic factors predispose people to Alzheimer's, but African-Americans and Hispanics have a greater risk of hypertension and diabetes - known risks for dementias, the association stated. Low education and low income - more common among African-Americans and Hispanics - also increase Alzheimer's risk, the report noted. "Alzheimer's is the single largest, looming, unaddressed public health threat facing the nation, but we now know the threat is even more substantial in the African-American and Hispanic communities," said Harry Johns, association president/CEO.