Arab American Cognitive Aging: Opportunities for Advancing Research on Alzheimer’s Disease Disparities

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: This article highlights the dearth of and need for research on Arab American cognitive aging. We propose that studying cognitive health issues among older Arab Americans provides an innovative opportunity to advance knowledge about causes and consequences of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) disparities and refine understanding of factors linked to immigrant health in the United States. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: Demographic information is provided on Arab Americans, who are on the cusp of being recognized by the U.S. government as a distinct ethnic group separate from whites. In the tradition of minority aging, we present a broad review of specific issues in the contemporary case of Arab Americans. RESULTS: We detail how including Arab Americans provides unique information on the importance of: (i) extending racial/ethnic group comparisons; (ii) linking social experiences to late-life cognitive health; and (iii) incorporating ethnic factors related to immigration and religion in the study of AD disparities. DISCUSSION AND IMPLICATIONS: Studying Arab American cognitive aging provides an innovative opportunity to more fully delineate factors that create and sustain health disparities, with special insights into both causes and consequences.