Why Are Women More Vulnerable to Alzheimer’s Disease Than Men?
November is National Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness Month – a time for enhanced support and examination of one of today’s most mysterious cognitive diseases. According to the Alzheimer’s Association, more than five million Americans live with the disease, and by 2050, this number could rise to as high as 16 million. It is America’s sixth leading cause of death and manifests itself within someone in the U.S. every 66 seconds. Alzheimer’s Disease takes more lives annually than Breast Cancer and Prostate cancer combined.
Despite these alarming statistics, there is still much to be known about Alzheimer’s disease. A search for a cure to this elusive neurological disorder has been a priority of many of the world’s top medical and scientific minds for years.
Among the disease’s many mysteries is the fact that nearly two-thirds of its victims are females. A new study might have some insight into that enigmatic figure.
According to Dr. Richard Isaacson of New York-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center, Alzheimer’s starts in the brain 20 to 30 years before its first symptoms of memory loss appear. Dr. Richardson indicates that women’s biological changes, such as hormonal maturation or metabolism changes in the brain, can be earlier catalysts for the disease.
Dr. Richardson is conducting new studies to determine what differences in women’s bodies give them a higher probability of developing neuro-degenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s. He’s also trying to learn when and why these changes occur by employing more than 400 human subjects to test over the course of several years.
Learn more about Dr. Richardson’s studies as well as several tips for preventing Alzheimer’s-like symptoms in this recent Today article about his new research. We look forward to the day when minds like Dr. Richardson’s are able to triumph over this puzzling neurological ailment once and for all.
To learn more about how Parc Provence can serve you or a loved one with industry-leading Alzheimer’s disease or dementia care, please contact us today. We would love to schedule your personal tour.
