Women and Alzheimers

You might know the telltale signs of Alzheimer's disease (AD) — memory loss, loss of spontaneity, taking longer to complete everyday tasks, repeating questions or stories, getting lost and misplacing belongings. But Alzheimer's disease (AD) is not a natural part of getting older. Risk factors for developing the degenerative condition include:

• A family history of AD
• Diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, lack of physical activity and smoking
• Sustaining a head trauma or traumatic brain injury

What you might not know is that Alzheimer's disproportionately impacts women. Of the 6 million Americans with AD, two-thirds of them are women. There are several theories as to why that is.

Women Live Longer

Symptoms of Alzheimer's generally begin to present in one's mid-60s, when one in five women develop the condition. And since women live longer than men by around five years, they may have more time to develop the disease. The older you are, the more likely you will develop Alzheimer's. According to Harvard Medical School, Alzheimer's is annually diagnosed in:

• 4 out of 1,000 people ages 65 to 74
• 32 out of 1,000 people ages 75 to 84
• 76 out of 1,000 people ages 85 and older

Women Have Different Immune Symptoms and Brain Proteins

One hypothesis surrounds the fact that women not only have more robust immune systems than men, but they are twice as likely to develop an autoimmune disorder—especially during times of intense stress, pregnancy and significant hormonal shifts. Amyloid plaques cause AD. These proteins form in the spaces between nerve cells, leading to widespread damage, neuron death and loss of communication processes in the brain vital to communication, metabolism and cell repair. Some neurologists suspect that women may have more amyloid plaques than men. A University of California, San Francisco study found higher levels of amyloid plaque in women's brains compared to men of the same age and cognitive functioning. Researchers also found abnormal tau protein spread (a toxic substance that causes cognitive decline) and brain glucose metabolism differ by gender.

Women Differ Biologically

Many researchers and physicians don't think it's as simple as age. One scientist with Kaiser Permanente's research division explores connections between dementia risks and the ages women went through menopause, the ages they had their first menstrual cycle and the number of years between those events. Though some reasons why women disproportionately battle AD is unknown, the Alzheimer's Association and The Women's Alzheimer's Movement are funding research to uncover more information. This includes how biology, brain function, genetics and lifestyle play a part in AD.

Women Have Different Experiences

One study found that women who had jobs outside the home in early adulthood and middle age, whether mothers or not, had slower memory decline as they aged. Married moms who had never pursued "waged employment" had a 61% faster cognitive decline than their 60 to 70-year-old, careered counterparts. Researchers believe this is because employed women experience more cognitive stimulation. Unfortunately, two-thirds of caregivers for patients with Alzheimer's are also women, many of whom are family members who must quit their careers to provide that care.

While research suggests that women have a greater biological vulnerability to AD than men, the exact cause is still unknown. Doctors encourage patients to stay active as they age and eat a healthy diet.

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