African-Americans are twice as likely as Caucasians to have Alzheimers and related memory-robbing diseases, and Hispanics, the fastest-growing segment of the U.S. population, are 1.5 times as likely, according to a new report released this morning by the Alzheimers Association.

The higher risk is likely linked to factors like high *lo** pressure and diabetes, which are risk factors for dementia and more common among those minority groups than among Caucasians.

Yet, African-Americans and Hispanics are less likely to be diagnosed with the disease than their Caucasian counterparts. One barrier to diagnosis of dementia among these populations is access to proper health care, Maria Carrillo, a spokeswoman for the association, told the Health Blog. Language and culture, such as the custom of taking care of individuals within ones family, could also be contributors, she said.

Alzheimers, which affects some 5.3 million people in the U.S., is the seventh leading cause of death. Health care and long-term care costs for these patients total $172 billion annually, according to the report. And, when a patient has Alzheimers on top of a medical condition, the net result is elevated cost, said Carrillo. For instance, Medicare payments are nearly three times higher for those aged 65 and older with Alzheimers than those of the same age without the disease.