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Women are more commonly affected by Alzheimer’s than men. New scientific findings show what reasons could be behind it.
On the occasion of International Women’s Day on March 8, 2024, the Alzheimer Research Initiative e. v. about new findings in Alzheimer’s research: The probability that women will develop Alzheimer’s dementia is higher than men. In Germany, around 800,000 people with a dementia diagnosis are female: two thirds of those affected are women. According to scientists, for a long time women’s longer life expectancy and thus older age were considered the most important risk factor for this imbalance. However, researchers discovered that the causes can also lie in gender-specific genes. They identified three factors that probably contribute to the fact that women are more likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease.
Dementia: Three factors why women are more often affected by Alzheimer’s
In her in the specialist magazine Neuroforum published Review article the study authors Dr. Alex Yang Liu and Prof. Klaus Faßbender from Saarland University Hospital were able to identify the following three factors that are presumably responsible for an increased risk of Alzheimer’s disease in women:
- Circulatory disorders in the brain: Around 80 percent of Alzheimer’s patients experience circulatory problems in the brain due to, among other things, the breakdown of pericytes. Pericytes are cells that normally regulate blood flow in the brain. However, if they become fewer, this leads to an undersupply of oxygen to the brain. As a result, cognitive abilities decline. Since the genes controlling pericytes are located on the male and female sex chromosomes, this leads to different regulation in men and women. Women after menopause are more likely to suffer from circulatory problems. This means they also have a higher risk of cardiovascular diseases such as stroke or heart attack.
- Disturbance in the transmission of information in the brain: The transmission of information in the brain is apparently also determined by gender. Normally, the so-called oligodendrocytes ensure that nerve cells are protected and that information is exchanged quickly. However, scientific evidence suggests that these oligodendrocytes are less activated in women suffering from Alzheimer’s disease than in men. The protection of nerve cells and the transmission of information are impaired in women. The genes that presumably control these processes are located in the respective reproductive organs.
- Weakened immune defenses: The defense of the immune system also appears to be different in women and men and has an impact on the development of Alzheimer’s disease. Microglial cells, for example, play an important role in the brain’s immune defense. If the brain is healthy, these have an anti-inflammatory effect and ensure the elimination and disposal of harmful substances. If a person suffers from Alzheimer’s, the microglial cells initially manage to break down the protein deposits in the brain that are typical of dementia. However, as the disease progresses, they can no longer guarantee this protection. Instead, they lead to chronic inflammation. This further promotes the breakdown of nerve cells. Many genes involved in the immune response are located on the X chromosome. Gender influences the immune and inflammatory reactions in the body. As a result, both the immune system and the regulation of inflammatory processes appear to function more poorly in women than in men.
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