Statistically, 1 in 6 elderly women will be affected with Alzheimer’s and only 1 in 11 men will suffer from it. The no-brainer answer to this question would be women live longer than men, which is why they are more affected by Alzheimer’s. According to a new study, this can be further explained. Men are more likely to die of a heart attack, in middle age. Those men who don’t die of a heart-related condition, likely have a healthy heart and therefore a healthy brain. Age is the greatest risk factor for both, men and women. Women begin to exhibit symptoms of Alzheimer’s 20 years before official diagnosis. Women who reach menopause will experience a drop in estrogen levels. Estrogen is shown to have a protective effect in the brain. When women in menopause lose estrogen, they are less protected from Alzheimer’s disease. This doesn’t warrant the use of hormone replacement therapy but it does justify an urgent need for more progressive therapies for women who are suffering with Alzheimer’s disease.
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