According to the Alzheimer’s Association, 5.8 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s Disease, and two-thirds of those cases are in women. You might think, as I first did, that that’s because women usually live longer than men, but new research shows that the disease may actually spread differently in women’s brains. In addition, women are less likely to be diagnosed in the early stages of Alzheimer’s because they often do better than men in verbal screening tests. Some research indicates that this may be because women’s brain metabolism may help them hold on to their normal verbal skills and mask symptoms of the disease for longer. 

Unfortunately, not much more is known at this time, but research to understand, combat, and hopefully cure this disease is ongoing. You can read more about the new research here, and for more information on Alzheimer’s disease, visit ALZ.org. 

Post by Peter Harrison