The Prevalence and Effects of Alzheimers Disease Among American Women

Description of Topic for Dissertation Research

At present, there are more than 5 million cases of Alzheimers disease in the United States, and this figure is projected to increase by 300% by mid-century (Vega et al., 2017). Although the Food and Drug Administration recently approved the first medicinal treatment for Alzheimers disease, its efficacy remains unknown at present and it is reasonable to suggest that many Americans will continue to suffer from this disorder as they grow older. While Alzheimers disease can occur at any time during the lifespan, it is generally regarded as an age-related disorder since it typically occurs among the elderly and represents the most common cause of dementia in this population (Beckman & Morrison, 2021). Despite a small decline in life expectancy rates attributable to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic in recent years, people are still living longer today and ever before in history. Therefore, it is also reasonable to posit that unless and until the precise causes of Alzheimers disease are identified and efficacious treatments become widely available, the number of Alzheimers disease sufferers will continue to increase well into the foreseeable future (Beckman & Morrison, 2021).

. What is known for certain at present is that women have a higher lifetime incidence of Alzheimers disease compared to men (Peeters et al., 2022). Researchers have also determined that Alzheimers disease currently affects almost 50 million people globally, and that fully two-thirds of the cases in the United States are women (Beckman & Morrison, 2021). Moreover, the female population in the United States is becoming far more diverse, and the prevalence of Alzheimers disease among African American and Hispanic women is also higher compared to men, with the largest differences existing among the same ethnicity (Royse et al., 2021). In addition, African American women are also less likely to seek medical assistance when the symptoms of Alzheimers first occur, thereby exacerbating the condition and accelerating its devastating effects on the human mind and body (Lincoln et al., 2021). Taken together, these issues make the study of the prevalence and effects of Alzheimers disease among American women a timely and interesting topic that warrants further investigation.

Annotated List of Juried Articles

Andrew, M. K. & Tierney, M. C. (2018). The puzzle of sex, gender and Alzheimers disease: Why are women more often affected than men? Womens Health, 14, 1-8.

This study cites the significant differences in the incidence and prevalence of Alzheimers disease between men and women as a problem that warrants additional investigation. The purpose of the study was to provide a comprehensive, critical analysis of these issues using a narrative review to identify gender- and sex-based influences in the onset of Alzheimers disease. In this regard, the authors note that there are multiple sex differences between men and women with respect to hormones, pregnancy and brain structure that may have an influence on the onset of Alzheimers disease. The findings that emerged from this study included the effects of longevity because women tend to outlive men as well as other biological differences such as hormonal and physicality which may play a role. In addition, gendered social roles and educational and employment opportunities may also be implicated in the onset of Alzheimers disease. Based on these findings, the authors suggest that additional research concerning the manner in which sex- and gender-based differences combine to place women at greater risk of developing Alzheimers compared to men. Likewise, the authors also call for further studies to determine how sex and gender should be taken into account for the optimal management of this disorder. A minor weakness in this study was the minimal discussion concerning the relationship between female frailty and the onset of Alzheimers although this factor was included in the calculus.

Kimura, A. et al. (2019). Malnutrition is Associated with Behavioral and Psychiatric Symptoms of Dementia in Older Women with Mild Cognitive Impairment and Early-Stage Alzheimers Disease. Nutrients, 11(8), 1951-1966.

This article emphasizes the fact that the worlds population is living longer with a concomitant increase in the prevalence of various...…the onset of Alzheimers. Likewise, the high rates of diabetes among the Latino population in the U.S. may also increase the risk of developing Alzheimers. Based on these and other findings, the authors conclude that it is possible that the combination of the various social determinants of health account for the current disparities in the prevalence of Alzheimers disease among the Latino population in the United States. As a result, the authors recommend that additional research be conducted in this area to isolate the most significant determinant so that these disparities can be reduced or even eliminated.

Additional Women and Alzheimers Disease Articles

Beckman, D., & Morrison, J. H. (2021). Towards developing a rhesus monkey model of early Alzheimers disease focusing on womens health. American Journal of Primatology, 83(11), 17.

de Lange, A. G. (2020, August). Women's brain aging: Effects of sex-hormone exposure, pregnancies, and genetic risk for Alzheimer's disease. Human Brain Mapping, 41(18), 5141-5150.

Dubal, D. B. (2020). Sex difference in Alzheimer's disease: An updated, balanced and emerging perspective on differing vulnerabilities. Handbook of Clinical Neurology, 175, 261-273.

Kimura, A. et al. (2019). Malnutrition is Associated with Behavioral and Psychiatric Symptoms of Dementia in Older Women with Mild Cognitive Impairment and Early-Stage Alzheimers Disease. Nutrients, 11, 1951.

Peeters, G., Katelekha, K., Lawlor, B., & Demnitz, N. (2022). Sex differences in the incidence and prevalence of young?onset Alzheimers disease: A meta?analysis. International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 37(1), 19.

Sanfilippo, C. (2019, May 15). Middle-aged healthy women and Alzheimer's disease patients present an overlapping of brain cell transcriptional profile. Neuroscience, 406(15), 333-344.

Savolainen-Peltonen, H. (2019, March 6). Use of postmenopausal hormone therapy and risk of Alzheimers disease in Finland: nationwide case-control study. BMJ, 364(8190), l665-1672.

Song, Y. J. et al. (2020, March 10). The Effect of Estrogen Replacement Therapy on Alzheimer's Disease and Parkinson's Disease in Postmenopausal Women: A Meta-Analysis. Frontiers of Neuroendocrinology, 14, 1-13.

Subramaniapillai, S. et al. (2021, January). Sex and gender differences in cognitive and brain reserve: Implications for Alzheimers disease in women. Frontiers of Neuroendocrinology, 60, 100879.

Zhu, D. et al. (2021). Alzheimers pathogenic mechanisms and underlying…