Monterey, CA Alzheimer's Caregivers Take Note : Women Decline Faster Than Men

Women with signs of early memory issues decline significantly faster than men at the same stage of dementia, according to a new study that shows women's vulnerability to Alzheimer’s disease.  The results come from an analysis of 398 people with mild cognitive impairment enrolled in a large, national, long-term study called the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative, or ADNI.  Over an eight year period, the women’s condition worsened nearly twice as fast as the men’s on both a standard scale of memory and other cognitive tests, as well as on a measure that assesses how well one is able to function as reported by a spouse or caregiver. As time went on, the women’s decline appeared to accelerate relative to the men’s, according to P. Murali Doraiswamy, the senior author on the study and a psychiatry professor at Duke University.  Regular readers of my blog know that both my grandmother and my father had this terrible disease when they passed away, and I have been working diligently with the Monterey Chapter of the Alzheimer's Association to raise money to find a cure.  In addition to being the largest private funder of Alzheimer's research in the United States, they have support groups and a 24-hour hotline (800-272-3900) where a dedicated staff can help you if you are struggling with caring for a loved one with the disease.  Family inHome Caregiving will be attending the Monterey Memory Walk.  We are currently the number one fundraising team.  If you would like to walk with us, to join our team or to donate, please click here.