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Alzheimer Disease risks are Gender specific
Newswise — The risks of developing
Alzheimer’s disease differ between the
sexes, with stroke in men, and depression in
women, critical factors, suggests research
published ahead of print in the
Journal of Neurology
Neurosurgery and Psychiatry.
The French researchers base their findings
on almost 7000 people over the age of 65,
drawn from the general population in three
French cities.
None had dementia, but around four out of 10
were deemed to have mildly impaired mental
agility (mild cognitive impairment) at the
start of the study.
Their progress was assessed two and four
years later.
In all, just over 6.5% of those deemed to be
cognitively impaired developed dementia over
the next four years. In just over half, no
change was seen.
Just over one in three reverted to normal
levels of cognitive agility.
Progression from mild cognitive impairment
to dementia was more likely among those who
were depressed and who were taking
anticholinergic drugs, which influence
chemical signalling in the brain.
A variation in the ApoE gene, a known risk
factor for dementia, was also more common
among those whose mild cognitive impairment
progressed.
But risk factors also differed between the
sexes, the results showed.
Men with mild cognitive impairment were more
likely to be overweight, diabetic, and to
have had a stroke. Men who had had a stroke
were almost three times as likely to
progress.
Women with mild cognitive impairment were
more likely to be in poorer general health,
disabled, suffering from insomnia and to
have a poor support network.
Women unable to perform routine daily tasks,
which would allow them to live without
assistance, were 3.5 times as likely to
progress. And those who were depressed were
twice as likely to do so.
Stroke was not a risk factor for women,
despite a similar rate of occurrence in both
sexes.
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