London - Men may be at higher risk than women of developing mild memory loss that can lead to Alzheimer’s disease, say researchers.
In later life men had up to twice the risk of losing memory and other brain skills such as planning and carrying out complex tasks.
Experts say around half of people with a condition known as mild cognitive impairment develop Alzheimer’s or other forms of dementia.
The latest findings come from a US study of 1,450 people between the ages of 70 and 89 who did not have dementia. They underwent memory testing for an average of three years, when 296 had developed MCI.
Overall, there were 64 cases per 1,000 people, but 72 cases per 1,000 men compared with 57 per 1,000 women. However, men were at twice the risk of developing a form of MCI that leads to problems in planning, judgment and carrying out complex tasks, says the study published online in the medical journal Neurology. This type of MCI is less likely to progress to Alzheimer’s than MCI with predominant memory loss.
The findings are surprising because it is women who are more likely to develop dementia, but it is not clear why men should be more at risk of MCI. - Daily Mail