NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. (Diya TV) — Rutgers University researchers have launched the first U.S. study focused on Alzheimer’s disease and dementia risk among South Asian Americans. The project aims to understand how health, lifestyle, and genetics affect brain health in one of the country’s fastest-growing communities. Researchers also hope the findings will improve early detection, prevention and future treatment options.
The South Asian Middle Age Risk Tracking for Brain Health, or SAMARTH, study will follow 750 South Asian adults between the ages of 45 and 70. The research will include participants from New Jersey and nearby states, where the United States has its largest South Asian population. So far, about 170 people have joined the study.
Researchers say the project fills a major gap in Alzheimer’s research. Although South Asians represent a growing population in the United States, they remain underrepresented in studies on dementia. As a result, doctors have limited information about how the disease develops in this community. Because of that, experts believe more targeted research could improve patient care.
Dr. Michal Schnaider Beeri, director of the Krieger Klein Alzheimer’s Research Center at the Rutgers Brain Health Institute, said the lack of research has slowed progress. She said the SAMARTH study could help develop personalized treatments, earlier diagnostic tools and prevention strategies designed specifically for South Asians. Therefore, researchers expect the project to provide valuable insights for future healthcare.
Scientists say Alzheimer’s disease often begins changing the brain many years before memory problems appear. For that reason, they consider middle age an important time to study risk factors. Early research could also help doctors identify people who face a higher risk before symptoms develop.
The study welcomes English-speaking adults with family roots in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Bhutan and the Maldives. Every 18 months, participants complete memory and thinking tests, neurological and physical exams, blood tests, brain imaging and lifestyle assessments. Researchers will then track changes over time and compare the results.
The project builds on an earlier Rutgers-led review published in Alzheimer’s & Dementia. Researchers examined studies conducted in India between 2000 and 2025. They also compared the findings with the 14 modifiable dementia risk factors identified by the 2024 Lancet Commission.
The review found several important differences between South Asians and people of European ancestry. According to researchers, diabetes and other metabolic disorders appear to play a larger role in dementia risk among South Asians. In addition, lower education levels, untreated hearing and vision loss, physical inactivity and poor nutrition also increase the risk.
Lead author Akankshi Oberoi, a researcher at the Krieger Klein Alzheimer’s Research Center, said growing evidence shows dementia risk factors differ across populations. Therefore, she said researchers need population-specific studies to guide prevention efforts and improve treatment. She added that better research can help healthcare providers create more effective strategies for South Asian communities.
The review also found that genetic changes commonly linked to Alzheimer’s disease in European populations may have a smaller effect among South Asians. Instead, lifestyle and environmental factors could play a greater role. As a result, researchers believe prevention efforts that focus on healthier daily habits may have a stronger impact in this population.
According to the 2023 UNFPA India Ageing Report, India’s population of adults aged 60 and older could reach about 340 million by 2050. Consequently, experts expect dementia cases to increase unless stronger prevention measures become available.
