[ Ссылка ]
Why is a woman in her 60s or older twice as likely to get Alzheimer's disease than breast cancer in her lifetime? The jury may still be out.
Women are at the epicenter of Alzheimer’s disease, with women accounting for almost two-thirds of US seniors living with the disease. While some tend to believe the reason for this is that women have a longer life expectancy than men, the Alzheimer’s Association has begun to look into why women are at a greater risk of developing Alzheimer’s than men.
"There are enough biological questions pointing to increased risk in women that we need to delve into that and find out why," said Maria Carrillo, PhD, chief science officer for the Alzheimer's Association, in an interview with the Associated Press (AP).
Alzheimer's disease is the most common type of dementia. Dementia is the general term for diseases that are marked by a loss of cognitive ability and memory which affects a patient's quality of life.
While some dementia can be treated and even cured, the progression of Alzheimer's can only be temporarily slowed. About 95 percent of the nearly 5 million Alzheimer's patients in the US are over the age of 65, and it is the sixth leading cause of death in the US.
An Alzheimer's Association report recently estimated that by the time they reach 65 years old, 1 out of 6 women are at risk of developing Alzheimer’s in their lifetime — compared with a 1 in 11 chance in men.
