Question 173 of 433
Why do more women than men get Alzheimer’s?
The short answer
About two-thirds of people with Alzheimer’s are women. Longer life explains part of it. The loss of estrogen at menopause may explain more.
Estrogen supports how brain cells use energy. Brain imaging by Dr. Lisa Mosconi and others shows that brain energy use drops during the menopause transition, and that this is when the first Alzheimer’s changes can appear in women at risk. Whether hormone therapy started near menopause protects the brain is still unsettled, and it should not be prescribed for that purpose alone. What is clear is that a woman’s forties and fifties are a critical window for sleep, blood pressure, exercise, and blood sugar.
“This book is for education. It is not medical advice, and reading it does not make you my patient or create a doctor-patient relationship.” From the book’s medical disclaimer. Full disclaimer
EPIDEMIOLOGY / MECHANISTIC — Women and Alzheimer’s; estrogen mechanisms do not establish preventive hormone benefit.Evidence grade (draft mapping)CObservationalPart 12, Q173 · Part sources
From Longevity Unmasked by Afshine Ash Emrani, MD, FACC. Medical disclaimer. This book is for education. It is not medical advice, and reading it does not make you my patient or create a doctor-patient relationship. Nothing here is meant to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Medicine is personal: a test, drug, supplement, or exercise plan that helps one person can harm another. Do not start, stop, or change any medication or treatment because of something you read in these pages. Talk with a licensed clinician who knows your history first. If you think you are having a medical emergency, call 911. The author disclaims responsibility for any loss or harm arising from use of the information in this book.