Petersen Melissa E, Zhou Zhengyang, Hall James R, Phillips Nicole, Meeker Karin L, Borzage Matthew T, Braskie Meredith N, Clark Alexandra L, Shi Yonggang, Rissman Robert A, Zhang Fan, Vintimilla Raul, Casas Antonio, Rhodes Jill, Barber Robert C, Johnson Leigh, Yaffe Kristine, Toga Arthur W, O'Bryant Sid E
Institute for Translational Research University of North Texas Health Science Center Fort Worth Texas USA.
Department of Family Medicine University of North Texas Health Science Center Fort Worth Texas USA.
Alzheimers Dement (N Y). 2025 Aug 12;11(3):e70140. doi: 10.1002/trc2.70140. eCollection 2025 Jul-Sep.
The Health and Aging Brain Study-Health Disparities (HABS-HD) is an ongoing prospective study aimed at understanding brain health and aging. The current work provides a description of the cohort baseline characteristics and outlines the study methodology.
We analyzed available data from = 1066 non-Hispanic Black (NHB), = 1425 Hispanic, and = 1349 non-Hispanic White (NHW) partners who were actively enrolled in HABS-HD. Descriptive statistics are presented for each racial/ethnic group across demographic, medical, and diagnostic characteristics. Differences in select amyloid (A), tau (T), and neurodegenerative (N) biomarkers spanning proteomic and neuroimaging were examined along with groupwise differences for cognitive test performance and select social determinants of health (SDoH) factors.
The characteristics of the cohort revealed significant groupwise differences in age, education, sex, and cognitive diagnosis. Higher rates of cognitive impairment (mild cognitive impairment [MCI] and dementia) were found in NHB and Hispanic compared to NHW partners, despite the latter group being older. There were also higher rates of hypertension and diabetes among NHB and Hispanic compared to NHW partners. Differences were also found across many plasma (A/T[N]) biomarkers and select neuroimaging measures, including meta-region of interest and white matter hyperintensities. Positron emission tomography amyloid positivity rates (but not tau positivity) were found to differ, with higher rates observed among NHW (15% amyloid positivity) compared to NHB (3%) partners. Groups also differed by select SDoH factors, including household income, insurance, having a health-care provider, and Area Deprivation Index. All cognitive measures also revealed groupwise differences.
The baseline cohort characteristics for HABS-HD reveal significant group differences spanning demographic, medical, cognitive, and biological factors (including A/T[N] biomarkers), which are all critical to understand as they relate to aging and age-related diseases.
The Health and Aging Brain Study-Health Disparities (HABS-HD) cohort baseline characteristics and study methodology were provided.Cohort characteristic differences were found across demographic factors, including age, education, sex, and cognitive diagnosis across the representative groups.Biomarkers for amyloid/tau/neurodegeneration spanning blood and neuroimaging were shown to differ as well across cohort groups.Positivity rates for amyloid positron emission tomography were lower for non-Hispanic Black partners in the cohort compared to non-Hispanic White partners.
健康与衰老大脑研究——健康差异研究（HABS-HD）是一项正在进行的前瞻性研究，旨在了解大脑健康与衰老。当前工作描述了队列的基线特征，并概述了研究方法。
我们分析了来自积极参与HABS-HD研究的1066名非西班牙裔黑人（NHB）、1425名西班牙裔和1349名非西班牙裔白人（NHW）伴侣的可用数据。针对每个种族/族裔群体，呈现了人口统计学、医学和诊断特征方面的描述性统计数据。研究了蛋白质组学和神经影像学中选定的淀粉样蛋白（A）、tau蛋白（T）和神经退行性变（N）生物标志物的差异，以及认知测试表现和选定的健康社会决定因素（SDoH）因素的组间差异。
队列特征显示，在年龄、教育程度、性别和认知诊断方面存在显著的组间差异。与NHW伴侣相比，NHB和西班牙裔中认知障碍（轻度认知障碍[MCI]和痴呆）的发生率更高，尽管后者年龄更大。与NHW伴侣相比，NHB和西班牙裔中高血压和糖尿病的发生率也更高。在许多血浆（A/T[N]）生物标志物和选定的神经影像学测量指标上也发现了差异，包括感兴趣的元区域和白质高信号。发现正电子发射断层扫描淀粉样蛋白阳性率（但tau蛋白阳性率无差异）存在差异，NHW（淀粉样蛋白阳性率为15%）伴侣中的阳性率高于NHB（3%）伴侣。各群体在选定的SDoH因素方面也存在差异，包括家庭收入、保险、是否有医疗保健提供者以及地区贫困指数。所有认知测量指标也显示出组间差异。
HABS-HD的基线队列特征显示，在人口统计学、医学、认知和生物学因素（包括A/T[N]生物标志物）方面存在显著的组间差异，这些差异对于理解与衰老和年龄相关疾病的关系至关重要。
提供了健康与衰老大脑研究——健康差异研究（HABS-HD）队列的基线特征和研究方法。在人口统计学因素方面发现了队列特征差异，包括年龄、教育程度、性别以及各代表性群体的认知诊断。在整个队列组中，血液和神经影像学中淀粉样蛋白/tau蛋白/神经退行性变的生物标志物也存在差异。与非西班牙裔白人伴侣相比，队列中非西班牙裔黑人伴侣的淀粉样蛋白正电子发射断层扫描阳性率较低。
