Dementia effects of Alzheimer's are more severe in women

Cognitive abilities of women decrease faster due to Alzheimer's
Alzheimer's is a serious condition that makes a normal life almost impossible for sufferers. The disease affects more and more over time and patients need someday urgent care. According to the latest findings, the effects of the disease on women are even greater, compared to sick men.

Alzheimer's disease causes cognitive decline to worsen progressively. Sick people are at some point no longer able to cope with the activities of everyday life. Researchers from the University of Hertfordshire found in an investigation that women are more affected by the consequences of the disease than men. The physicians published the results of their study in the journal "World Journal of Psychiatry".

Alzheimer's disease affects women more than men at the same stage of the disease. This could be due to the decline in estrogen levels in older women and a lack of cognitive reserve. (Image: Ocskay Bence / fotolia.com)

Decline of estrogen influences development of the disease
In women with Alzheimer's disease, the cognitive abilities appear to dramatically deteriorate faster, compared to men who are at the same stage of the disease, explain the physicians. Language skills and memory are also more strongly influenced by women. In the United Kingdom, about two-thirds of the 850,000 dementia patients are women. Alzheimer's is a special form of dementia. The disease is the leading cause of death in women over 80 years of age. In men, the disease is the third leading cause of death in this age group, say the experts. Researchers at the University of Hertfordshire believe that the decline in the hormone estrogen that women experience when they come to menopause could affect how the disease develops.

We need to understand the gender differences in Alzheimer's disease
Due to the traditional division of the sexes into different roles, the man used to work mostly. As a result, men could have a greater cognitive reserve, the scientists say. Therefore, it is quite possible that men are not as severely affected by the disease as women who lack such reserves. The findings of the study are important in understanding the risk factors, progression and treatment of the disease, explains lead author Professor Keith Laws of the University of Hertfordshire. For example, our genetics are difficult to change, but the cognitive reserve remains modifiable, and with more and more women working today, the next generation may suffer less from the disease, the scientists speculate. It is essential that we identify the role of gender differences in such diseases, as this will allow more accurate diagnosis and opportunities for new therapies, the doctors add.

Omega-3s could help
A recent study by the Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin recently found that natural supplementation with omega-3 fatty acids improves memory in the elderly and may help prevent Alzheimer's disease. The intake of omega-3 fatty acids leads to increased human memory. Perhaps this effect could be used to prevent Alzheimer's. Various nutritional constituents as well as the omega-3 fatty acids are said to have a direct effect on the function of nerve cells. The results of the study indicate a long-term strategy for maintaining cognitive performance in old age. Targeted nutritional interventions could be a key element here. (As)