Mexican Health and Aging — tracking health and memory in older adults
The Mexican Health Aging Study (MHAS)
This long-term project follows adults 50 and older in Mexico to learn how aging, memory, and dementia change over time.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Texas Hlth Science Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (San Antonio, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11308248 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
They follow a national sample of community-dwelling adults aged 50+ across urban and rural Mexico, collecting repeated interviews and health information over many years. The project has completed six waves over 20 years and includes Mex-Cog, a cognitive protocol harmonized with international HCAP efforts, with two Mex-Cog waves finished. New follow-ups will add topics like COVID-19 impacts and social disparities while continuing life-course tracking of dementia-related outcomes. Data are linked across waves to observe changes in memory, function, and risk factors over time.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal participants are community-dwelling adults aged 50 and older living in Mexico, including both urban and rural residents.
Not a fit: People under 50, those living outside Mexico, or residents of long-term care institutions are unlikely to be eligible or directly benefit from this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could identify population-level risk factors and social drivers of dementia in Mexican older adults to inform prevention and care strategies.
How similar studies have performed: Long-running population studies such as the U.S. Health and Retirement Study and HCAP-linked initiatives have successfully tracked dementia trends and risk factors using comparable methods.
Where this research is happening
San Antonio, United States
- University of Texas Hlth Science Center — San Antonio, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Wong, Rebeca — University of Texas Hlth Science Center
- Study coordinator: Wong, Rebeca
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.