American Journal of Epidemiology Vol. 153, No. 2 : 132-136
Copyright © 2001 by The Johns Hopkins University School of Hygiene and Public Health
ORIGINAL CONTRIBUTIONS |
Is the Risk of Developing Alzheimer's Disease Greater for Women than for Men?
1 Rush Institute for Healthy Aging, Rush University and Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke's Medical Center, Chicago, IL.
2 Health Care and Aging Studies Branch, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Centers for Disease Control, Atlanta, GA.
A large proportion of people with Alzheimer's disease (AD) are women; however, it is not clear whether this is due to higher risk of disease or solely to the larger number of women alive at ages when AD is common. Beginning in 1982, two stratified random samples of people aged 
65 years in East Boston, Massachusetts underwent detailed, structured clinical evaluation for prevalent (467 people) and incident (642 people from a cohort previously ascertained to be disease-free) probable AD. The prevalence sample was followed for mortality for up to 11 years (through December 1992). The age-specific incidence of AD did not differ significantly by sex (for men vs. women, odds ratio = 0.92; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.51, 1.67). Controlled for age, prevalence also did not differ significantly by sex (for men vs. women, odds ratio = 1.29; 95% CI: 0.67, 2.48). The increase in risk of mortality due to AD did not vary by sex. The odds ratio for women with AD compared with women without AD was 2.07 (95% CI: 1.21, 3.56). For men, the odds ratio was 2.22 (95% CI: 1.02, 4.81). These findings suggest that the excess number of women with AD is due to the longer life expectancy of women rather than sex-specific risk factors for the disease.
Alzheimer's disease; incidence; mortality; prevalence; prospective studies; risk factors; sex factors; women
Abbreviations: AD, Alzheimer's disease; CI, confidence interval; EPESE, Established Populations for Epidemiologic Study of the Elderly
CiteULike 
Connotea 
Del.icio.us What's this?
This article has been cited by other articles:
|
|
 |
|
  E. Cellini, A. Tedde, S. Bagnoli, S. Pradella, S. Piacentini, S. Sorbi, and B. Nacmias Implication of Sex and SORL1 Variants in Italian Patients With Alzheimer Disease Arch Neurol, October 1, 2009; 66(10): 1260 - 1266. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
E. Gomez-Tortosa, M. S. Barquero, M. Baron, M. J. Sainz, S. Manzano, M. Payno, R. Ros, C. Almaraz, P. Gomez-Garre, and A. Jimenez-Escrig Variability of Age at Onset in Siblings With Familial Alzheimer Disease Arch Neurol, December 1, 2007; 64(12): 1743 - 1748. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 MRC Cognitive Function and Ageing Study, A. G. Yip, C. Brayne, and F. E. Matthews Risk factors for incident dementia in England and Wales: The Medical Research Council Cognitive Function and Ageing Study. A population-based nested case-control study Age Ageing, March 1, 2006; 35(2): 154 - 160. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 L. W. Baum Sex, Hormones, and Alzheimer's Disease J. Gerontol. A Biol. Sci. Med. Sci., June 1, 2005; 60(6): 736 - 743. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 L. L. Barnes, R. S. Wilson, J. L. Bienias, J. A. Schneider, D. A. Evans, and D. A. Bennett Sex Differences in the Clinical Manifestations of Alzheimer Disease Pathology Arch Gen Psychiatry, June 1, 2005; 62(6): 685 - 691. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
L. E. Hebert, P. A. Scherr, J. L. Bienias, D. A. Bennett, and D. A. Evans Alzheimer Disease in the US Population: Prevalence Estimates Using the 2000 Census Arch Neurol, August 1, 2003; 60(8): 1119 - 1122. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 L.L. Barnes, R.S. Wilson, J.A. Schneider, J.L. Bienias, D.A. Evans, and D.A. Bennett Gender, cognitive decline, and risk of AD in older persons Neurology, June 10, 2003; 60(11): 1777 - 1781. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 H. Gilmour, F. Gibson, and J. Campbell People with Dementia in a Rural Community: Issues of Prevalence and Community Care Policy Dementia, June 1, 2003; 2(2): 245 - 263. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
J. M. Silverman, C. J. Smith, D. B. Marin, R. C. Mohs, and C. B. Propper Familial Patterns of Risk in Very Late-Onset Alzheimer Disease Arch Gen Psychiatry, February 1, 2003; 60(2): 190 - 197. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
W. A. Kukull, R. Higdon, J. D. Bowen, W. C. McCormick, L. Teri, G. D. Schellenberg, G. van Belle, L. Jolley, and E. B. Larson Dementia and Alzheimer Disease Incidence: A Prospective Cohort Study Arch Neurol, November 1, 2002; 59(11): 1737 - 1746. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
S. D. Edland, W. A. Rocca, R. C. Petersen, R. H. Cha, and E. Kokmen Dementia and Alzheimer Disease Incidence Rates Do Not Vary by Sex in Rochester, Minn Arch Neurol, October 1, 2002; 59(10): 1589 - 1593. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
R. A. Miech, J. C.S. Breitner, P. P. Zandi, A. S. Khachaturian, J. C. Anthony, and L. Mayer Incidence of AD may decline in the early 90s for men, later for women: The Cache County study Neurology, January 22, 2002; 58(2): 209 - 218. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|