Study: Amyloid beta differs based on ethnicity, cognitive ability stage

A new study defined the ethnic differences of amyloid beta and cognitive trajectories in Koreans and non-Hispanic whites (NHWs).

The report was published Tuesday in Alzheimer’s & Dementia.

Researchers looked at 5,121 Koreans from multiple centers across South Korea, along with 929 NHWs from the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI). They conducted amyloid beta positron emission tomography (PET) on each participant. Each participant was put into one of three categories: cognitively unimpaired (CU), mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and dementia. 

The prevalence of amyloid beta was lower in CU Koreans than in CU NHWs. Koreans who were positive for amyloid beta had faster cognitive decline  than NHWs who were positive for the protein. 

“Ethnic characteristics of amyloid beta biomarkers should be considered in research and clinical application of amyloid beta-targeted therapies in diverse populations,” the authors wrote.

Because new treatments are becoming available globally as time goes on, understanding the ethnic characteristics of amyloid biomarkers and their cognitive trajectories is critical to help clinicians know which people are good candidates for certain treatments and to monitor how they’re doing on different treatments, the authors explained. Most previous studies on amyloid beta characteristics were done in NHWs, so the current study adds more knowledge about differences in amyloid beta and progression based on ethnicity.

In the dementia of the Alzheimer’s type (DAT) stage, Koreans had higher odds of amyloid beta positivity compared with NHWs as education level went up, the data showed.

“Taken together, our findings suggest that the prevalence of amyloid beta positivity and cognitive trajectories throughout cognitive stages differ by ethnicity,” the authors wrote. “These results enhance our understanding of the ethnic diversity of amyloid beta positivity prevalence and cognitive trajectories, underscoring their importance when considering the emergence of amyloid beta-targeted therapies that might be used worldwide across diverse ethnic populations.”