A new study published in Nature Reviews Neurology by the Women’s Brain Foundation (WBF) reveals significant sex and gender differences in Alzheimer’s disease, highlighting a crucial gap in how the condition is researched, diagnosed, and treated. The research underscores how biological and societal factors combine to create different disease experiences between men and women.
Statistics demonstrate the gender disparity in brain disorders: Two out of three Alzheimer’s patients are women, four out of five multiple sclerosis patients are female, and women are three times more likely to experience migraines and be diagnosed with depression and anxiety. Despite this prevalence, research has historically treated Alzheimer’s as a one-size-fits-all disease.
The study builds on the WBF’s previous research published in Nature Medicine last year, which found profound sex and gender differences in Parkinson’s disease. According to the findings, these differences stem from both biological factors such as hormones and social determinants including education access, job type, and caregiving responsibilities.
Key findings from the research reveal that women with Alzheimer’s are more likely to experience depression and psychosis symptoms, while men tend to display more apathy. This distinction is critical as symptoms like depression and anxiety in women might be misattributed to psychiatric causes rather than recognized as potential Alzheimer’s indicators. Additionally, severe neuropsychiatric symptoms often serve as exclusion criteria for clinical trials, further limiting research opportunities.
The study identifies several concerning gaps in current approaches to Alzheimer’s:
- Women are disproportionately excluded from immunotherapy trials due to factors such as older age, lower education levels, and co-morbidities
- There’s limited understanding of how hormone therapies like HRT might play a role in prevention and treatment
- Women with hormone-related risk factors such as early menopause or pregnancy complications may respond differently to lifestyle interventions
- Sex-specific variations in drug efficacy point to the need for tailored therapies
The research calls for a paradigm shift toward precision medicine that accounts for sex and gender differences, with the authors emphasizing that ignoring these differences represents not just a scientific failure but negligence in healthcare provision.
