Why are women more likely to develop Alzheimer's than men?

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Women are more likely than men to develop Alzheimer's and dementia due to accumulated stress, according to a new study by Johns Hopkins University.

A group of researchers at the University of Baltimore analyzed data from 909 study participants who found that women were more likely to lose memory because of stress than men.

The author of the study, Cynthia Monroe, a professor of psychiatry at Johns Hopkins University, said that the number of women at risk of Alzheimer's disease is twice the number of men, but the cause is unknown.

In a report published in the magazine "Popular Science", writer Kat Ashner touched on the repercussions of psychological stress on the memory of women and its relationship to Alzheimer's disease.

Monroe explained that previous studies have centered on the examination of sex hormones, but she and her team took the issue from another perspective, where they examined the stress hormone "cortisol."

Previous studies have revealed that cortisol, which is released in response to pressure, tends to rise with age, but women in the 1960s and early 1970s can produce up to three times as much as men in cortisol.

Remember and traumatic experiences
Although the new study showed that women's memory is most affected by daily stress factors, Monroe pointed out that the results of the study can apply to any gender or sex because cortisol affects everyone without exception.

The researchers asked participants whether they had experienced painful experiences, such as rape or assault the previous year, as well as routine events such as job loss, marriage or divorce.

Although all of the above experiences cause stress and stress, not all people experience traumatic experiences, while stress is an experience experienced by all people all the time, with varying degrees.

The participants' ability to remember was measured, and they were asked to remember 20 words the labs said aloud. Over time, the number of words participants were able to remember decreased.

This is normal, because as people get older, their ability to remember things in different ways decreases. The researchers then examined the impact of painful events and stressful life experiences on memory. For women, stressful life experiences were found to have negatively affected their ability to remember.

Monroe also stressed that gender-based differences are not significant, but they may be the likely cause of cognitive decline in women, who suffer from Alzheimer's and dementia at a much higher rate than men. However, Monroe indicated that she would continue research with study participants in the hope of discovering further differences.

Daily stress factors
Shannon Gorley, a professor of psychiatry at Emory University, said the findings are not surprising for scientists studying the impact of stress on animals.

Studies in humans tend to focus on accidents that can lead to PTSD, while the new study revealed that daily stress factors have negative repercussions on women's cognitive function.

She revealed a close link between the daily psychological pressures experienced by women and an increased risk of Alzheimer's and dementia, which is currently considered incurable.

WHO recommendations for women
The WHO recommends a healthy lifestyle, such as exercise and a balanced diet rich in plant foods to prevent these diseases. Trying to reduce stress may be one effective way to reduce the risk of cognitive decline, allowing older people to live better lives and be active agents of society.