TEMPO.CO, Jakarta – Alzheimer is a neurological disorder that slowly impairs the brain’s memory and thinking abilities. People with Alzheimer’s cannot even perform the simplest of tasks. Most of these diseases begin to show symptoms in their mid-60s, it is also the most common cause of dementia in the elderly.
This disease is named after Dr. Alois Alzheimer who sees changes in tissue brain a woman who had died of an unusual mental illness. He experienced memory loss, language problems, and unpredictable behavior. After his death, Dr. Alzheimer’s examined his brain and found many abnormal clumps and tangled bundles of fibers.
A survey of the Women’s Alzheimer’s Movement at the Cleveland Clinic in the United States (USA) found that about 82 percent of women are not aware of their increased risk of Alzheimer’s disease. What are the reasons women are at higher risk of developing Alzheimer’s than men?
Nearly three-quarters of women surveyed did not discuss or consult a doctor about brain health. According to the Alzheimer’s Association, a woman’s estimated lifetime risk of developing Alzheimer’s at age 65 is one in five. In the US, there are more than 6 million people aged 65 to elderly with Alzheimer’s and nearly 4 million of them are women.
Then, women in their 60s were about twice as likely to develop Alzheimer’s for the rest of their lives compared to those at high risk of developing breast cancer. Recent research has tried to find out why women have a higher risk of developing Alzheimer’s than men.
There are a number of potential biological and social reasons that could be why more women suffer from Alzheimer’s than men. Researchers at the University of Chicago School of Medicine and Boston University have discovered a new gene called MGMT or O6-Methylguanine-DNA-methyltransferase, which could be the reason behind the increased risk in women.
Lindsay Farrer, head of biomedical genetics at Boston University and senior author of the study said: “This is one of the few and perhaps the strongest associations of genetic risk factors for Alzheimer’s that are specific to women.
According to him, this finding is very strong because it was found independently in two different populations using different approaches. Meanwhile, another view suggests this difference between men and women may be due to the fact that women live longer than men on average.
In addition, older age is a major risk factor for Alzheimer’s. While some risk factors such as age or genes cannot be changed, other risk factors such as high blood pressure and lack of exercise can usually be changed by following the right healthy lifestyle changes. One of them with physical exercise in the daily routine.
Exercise can help brain cells by increasing the flow of blood and oxygen in the brain. There is evidence that eating foods that are good for the heart can also help protect the brain, including limiting your intake of sugar and saturated fat.
Expand the consumption of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains in your daily meal. Some of these beneficial foods also include low-fat dairy products, fish, poultry, nuts, seeds, and vegetable oils.
Several studies have also shown that having strong social relationships with age can also help lower the risk of Alzheimer’s and cognitive decline. This could be due to a direct mechanism through social stimulation that strengthens the connections between nerve cells in the brain.
Also read: Beware, Vitamin D Deficiency Can Increase Dementia Risk
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