Women are at the Epicenter of the Dementia Epidemic
Did you know that 65% of all people with Alzheimer's disease are women? That 60% of Alzheimer's caregivers are women? That a woman age 65 or older has a 1 in 6 chance of developing Alzheimer's disease, compared to 1 in 11 for a man?
I have been thinking of writing a second book (expanding on the information in my first book's appendices) tentatively entitled "A Woman's Guide to Lowering Your Risk of Alzheimer's Disease," because as women we learn about our risk factors in a piecemeal fashion--a little here and there, and we often hear nothing about the less well-known risk factors, such as having sleep apnea or insulin resistance. We're also so busy taking care of others that we let our own health slide.
Today the Alzheimer's Association released its 2014 Facts and Figures Report, which includes some statistics on women and Alzheimer's that I hadn't seen before. For a summary of that information, and a cool 1.5-minute video, check out their webpage.
For now, a second book will have to wait, but I hope to share more information in this blog about the particular risk factors for women, and the steps we can take to reduce our risk, particularly if we have a family history of Alzheimer's disease or another dementia.
To read more about women and Alzheimer's, you can purchase a report by Maria Shriver and the Alzheimer's Association called "The Shriver Report: A Woman's Nation Takes on Alzheimer's" ($9.46).
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