Researchers at the Cleveland Clinic have conducted a study shedding light on the sex-specific factors that may contribute to women’s increased risk for Alzheimer’s disease, as well as the severity of the condition.
Alzheimer’s disease is the sixth-leading cause of death in the United States, and understanding these sex-specific factors is essential for developing personalized treatment and prevention options.
The study, published in Alzheimer’s and Dementia, focused on the concept of brain immunometabolism, which refers to the interactions between the immune system and the ways cells generate energy.
These interactions play a crucial role in health and disease. The team aimed to investigate how sex differences in immune function, cellular metabolism, and brain cell communication might influence Alzheimer’s disease.
To conduct their research, the team analyzed genes and brain tissue samples from 469 Alzheimer’s patients, along with publicly available sequencing data.
They specifically looked for differences in gene expression between males and females in immune function, cellular metabolism, and brain cell communication.
Their findings revealed sex-specific differences in all three areas, with a significant difference observed in microglia—the immune cells in the brain.
The changes in microglia were more pronounced in the brains of female Alzheimer’s patients than males.
Dr. Justin Lathia, one of the study’s co-authors, explained that the immune system relies on communication between different cell types powered by unique metabolic processes.
Given that sex influences both the immune system and metabolic processes, understanding these factors’ interplay is crucial for understanding Alzheimer’s disease.
Women are more likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease and experience faster cognitive decline compared to men.
These sex differences emphasize the importance of considering sex-specific factors when designing medications and conducting clinical trials.
The study is part of an ongoing collaboration between the Cleveland Clinic and the Women’s Alzheimer’s Movement (WAM) better to comprehend the relationship between sex and various neurodegenerative conditions.
Dr. Jessica Caldwell, director of the WAM Prevention Center at Cleveland Clinic, highlighted Alzheimer’s disease as a significant women’s health issue and underscored the need to explore sex differences in brain and body systems’ communication to provide personalized care for women affected by Alzheimer’s disease.
If you care about Alzheimer’s disease, please read studies about New Alzheimer’s treatment: anti-inflammatory drug may prevent memory loss and findings of The diabetes drug surprise: a possible shield against Alzheimer’s?
For more information about brain health, please see recent studies about diet that may help prevent Alzheimer’s, and results showing some dementia cases could be prevented by changing these 12 things.
The research findings can be found in Alzheimer s & Dementia.
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