Alzheimer’s affects more women than men. Study finds why

Last updated on August 3rd, 2019 at 06:30 pm

It is known that women suffer from Alzheimer’s at a higher rate than men. A long-standing view was that it is due to women live longer than men.

But it is not the whole story.

The research reported at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference (AAIC) 2019 in Los Angeles identified that it could be due to sex-specific risk genes (newly identified) and contrasting presentation of Alzheimer’s biology in the brain.

Let’s try to understand this new research in this simplified article.

Alzheimer’s affects more women than men

Almost two-thirds of people living in US with Alzheimer’s disease are women and it was unclear why it is so. Traditionally it was believed that it may be due to a fact that women live longer than men.

Researchers were curious to know the exact reason for these sex differences. “The majority of people living with Alzheimer’s are women and it’s imperative we understand why,” said Maria C. Carrillo, PhD, Alzheimer’s Association chief science officer.“The research reported today at AAIC gets us one step closer to answering that question by identifying specific biological and social reasons why Alzheimer’s is different in men and women.”

What new findings reveal

Sex Differences Identified in the Spread of Tau Pathology in the Brain

Findings from researchers at the Vanderbilt University Medical Center found sex-specific differences in the spread of abnormal “tau protein“. Tau protein is a toxic substance that accumulated in the brain of Alzheimer’s.

Researchers at Vanderbilt University Medical Center used positron emission tomography (PET) scans study network of tau protein in the brain of Alzheimer’s. They found that the tau network of women with MCI looked very different from there male counterpart.

“The differences that we observed indicate the strong possibility that there are sex differences in the structural and functional connections in the brain, which may contribute to women’s increased risk for Alzheimer’s,” Shokouhi said. “This study has implications for the possibility of creating sex-specific risk-reduction strategies and preventive interventions.”

Also read: Healthy lifestyle can reduce risk of dementia|Study

Novel Sex-Specific Genes for Alzheimer’s Disease

Research from the University of Miami found unique novel sex-specific genes for men and women that are associated with risk for Alzheimer’s disease.

“This research demonstrates that genetics may contribute to differences in risk and progression of Alzheimer’s disease between men and women,” said Kunkle. “More research is needed to understand how much these genes contribute to Alzheimer’s risk, and whether they can be used to specifically identify men and women at risk for this disease.”

Source: AAIC