Why Do More Women Develop Alzheimer's Disease?

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Recently, I turned on the radio in my car and heard the last few minutes of an MPR [Minnesota Public Radio] All Things Considered segment about Alzheimer’s disease.  A few days later I googled the subject matter and found this MPR link to the audio and an accompanying online story. Take a few minutes to read or listen to the broadcast.

The gist of this report are the findings of yet another new Alzheimer’s study, this time in the Annals of Neurology.  The research focuses on the APOE4 gene that is carried by about 15 percent of the general population.  Scientists had already identified that this gene is known to increase the risk of the disease in both sexes, and studies have shown that about half of Alzheimer’s patients have the gene.  However, the risk for men who carry the APOE4 gene is minimal while in women APOE4 nearly doubled the risk of developing Alzheimer’s or mild cognitive impairment.

Why is the risk factor so much greater for women?

One reason, of course, is that women live longer than men, thereby increasing their chances of developing the disease.

However, there may be other factors such as female hormone estrogen levels, which decline after menopause.  The speculation is that the dramatic drop in estrogen levels may make a woman’s brain more vulnerable to Alzheimer’s disease.

When asked about the current study, Michelle Mielke, a psychiatric epidemiologist at the Mayo Clinic, said, “What is interesting in relation to this paper is that animal and cellular studies suggest that there is an interaction between APOE4 and estrogen.  So that may possibly be explaining the findings we’re seeing here in humans.”

Both sexes are currently being treated the same when there has been a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease, but more research is obviously needed to look at the male/female brain differences.  Eventually, there may be separate treatments, medications and protocols for men and women when treating the disease.

We certainly haven’t heard the last about this gender difference.

Nancy Wurtzel is a public relations professional and creative writer.  She pens Dating Dementia (www.datingdementia.com), a mostly humorous and sometimes twisted blog about making big changes at midlife.  Read about Nancy's journey through divorce, moving across country, empty nest issues, baby boomer challenges, dating and having cared for an aging parent with Alzheimer's disease.