Rate of Cognitive Decline in Women Twice As Fast as Men

Women who show signs of cognitive impairment decline twice as quickly as men, according to a recent study.

In order to further explore the disparities in cognitive decline and development of Alzheimer’s disease between men and women, researchers analyzed the cognition of 398 participants using the Alzheimer’s Disease Assessment Scale-Cognitive Subscale. The participants, most of whom were in their 70s, had undergone cognitive testing for between 4 and 8 years at the point of analysis.
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After controlling for age, education, genetic predisposition, and other factors that may influence cognition, researchers found that the rate of cognitive decline in women (2.3 points per year) was double that of men (1.05 points per year).

Measurements of quality of life and social functionality also decreased faster in women than in men.

“Our findings suggest that men and women at risk for Alzheimer’s may be having two very different experiences,” researchers concluded.

“Our analyses show that women with mild memory impairments deteriorate at much faster rates than men in both cognitive and functional abilities. These results point to the possibility of as yet undiscovered gender-specific genetic or environmental risk factors that influence the speed of decline. Uncovering those factors should be a high priority for future research.”

The findings were presented at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference.

—Michael Potts

Reference:

AAIC. Women at risk for alzheimer’s and dementia decline twice as fast as at-risk men [press release]. July 21, 2015. https://www.alz.org/aaic/releases_2015/Tues8amET.asp.