With the goal of educating Latinos about brain health and postponing dementia and Alzheimer’s, the Estrella Latino Aging Laboratory (ELHA) has been created at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).
“The goal of my laboratory is to work with our communities to translate science in a culturally appropriate way with our traditions and improve brain health and postpone dementia and Alzheimer’s,” said Dr. Mirella Díaz Santos, director of the ELHA of UCLA.
The laboratory is named after his maternal grandmother Estrella Ortiz who died at age 65 on March 3, 2007 due to the progression of Alzheimer’s. Grandma Estrella was born in Laeres, Puerto Rico.
“The laboratory was created to honor his name and his memory; and adopt a cultural approach that strengthens the mind, body and spirit in community with a healthier brain.”
Dr. Díaz Santos said that it is about creating accessible resources to give information to the Latino community so that they can learn to protect and keep their brain strong.
“We are talking to the communities, their members and leaders to see what their needs are.”
He explained that a first part has been listening to the communities and developing educational interventions where people are talked about the brain, at health fairs, visiting organizations, handing out pamphlets and disseminating information through social networks such as Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
“One of the things is to emphasize how our cultural traditions such as the Day of the Dead celebration support brain health.”
He said that whenever we sing, dance, move our bodies, and celebrate as a family and community, we help the brain become healthier and more elastic.
In that sense, he said that the cultural traditions of the Hispanic community keep the brain and memories strong and healthy.
“Based on medical sciences, we seek to educate, empower, advise and have those conversations with our community.”
Tips for better health
Dr. Díaz said that we must first understand that the brain is made up of water, and the first thing we must do to take care of its health is to hydrate ourselves because dehydration can cause disorientation.
Secondly, he recommended exposing ourselves to the sun to obtain vitamin D.
“Hydration helps the chemical process in the main area of the hippocampus, which Alzheimer’s attacks.”
She added that just as important is the power of self-care, and that means carrying out activities like dancing.
“Dancing is key because there are scientific bases that indicate that it helps us minimize the hormone cortisol, but also spirituality, praying and going to church are very useful.”
Another relevant element is living in community.
“This came to the fore more during the pandemic. Being alone at home, many people declined cognitively and died during the pandemic. This confirmed to us again that being in a community and the power of conversation helps the brain and protects it.”
In summary, Dr. Díaz said that staying moving is essential for brain health.
Alzheimer’s and Latinos
I affirm that Alzheimer’s is a type of dementia that affects Latino communities 1.5 times more than white European communities.
“There are several reasons that influence these numbers, such as that we suffer more from diabetes, hypertension and high cholesterol; and even discrimination increases the risk of developing Alzheimer’s in the future.”
He made it clear that it is important to involve Latinos more in research into this disease because less than 7% participate in studies on this condition.
We lack education
Dr. Laura Trejo, director of the Los Angeles County Department of Aging and Disabilities, said we lack education and understanding of the science to know how to protect our brains.
“It is a great blessing to have Dr. Mirella Díaz, an entrepreneurial woman and a scientist, to develop new models in the community.”
It is about, he said, using all the power of the new laboratory to use it in Latino communities.
“We are an aging county. For us, this population is a great priority, so much so that as a county we have been working for three years to develop a strategic plan to improve brain health.”
He said that on average, Latinos in Los Angeles County live longer lives, but with greater risks of illnesses and ailments.
“This lowers our quality of life.”
Dr. Trejo commented that her best advice is to educate ourselves and ask questions to have information and medical care that will lead us to have a better quality of life during old age.
“This is essential for a long and healthier life. Aging, for example, is not synonymous with memory loss. There are those who see it as something normal but it is not like that. We have to educate ourselves to learn how to handle these situations.”
He recalled that about two years ago, he found his 86-year-old mother very confused when she could not answer a question, which was not normal because she has great mental acuity.
“I asked her how long ago she had had water, and it turned out she was dehydrated. 20 minutes after drinking a glass of water, she was already normal.”
He said that we cannot neglect the care of professionals, because what may be treatable becomes more complicated if we do not treat it in time.
Dr. Díaz Santos asked to trust intuition when it comes to behavioral changes in older adults, especially when they detect something that does not agree with who they are.
“Know that at UCLA, we have made a great team and we are here to help you navigate the system; and that knowledge is power.”