The risk of a person developing dementia doubles every five years after the age of 65, according to "Women and Dementia", a global research review made public this week by London-based group Alzheimer's Disease International.
"Women are disproportionately affected by dementia," says the report. "As age is the greatest risk factor for dementia, and women have a greater life expectancy worldwide than men, a greater number of people with dementia will be women.
"There are also clinical differences between the genders in disease risk and and severity, especially in relation to dementia and cognition. Women with Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathology have a three-fold risk of being diagnosed with AD than men. It has also been suggested that loss of oestrogen after the menopause can lead to deficits in brain metabolism, which may lead on to AD."
The group's executive director, Marc Wortmann, said that as well as having a higher prevalence of dementia, women were the main paid and unpaid caregivers worldwide and were the main drivers of Alzheimer's associations, "many of whom are current or previous caregivers for their husband or a member of their family".
"It is about time we recognise this crucial role, which is why we wanted to produce this new global report on women and dementia."
The report says that although women's higher dementia prevalence is noted in the research literature, "there is little evidence of policy being put into place and actioned in response to this."
"All countries need to understand the current and predicted prevalence and acknowledge that dementia disproportionately affects women; the impact on women needs to be ascertained in individual countries, along with a review of the support available currently and what is needed to meet future needs."
"There is a need for further research into the impact of dementia on women as caregivers?"
READ THE FULL REPORT HERE:
Alzheimer's NZ executive director Catherine Hall welcomed the "important and timely" report.
She said women were more likely to be the primary caregiver in a family situation involving dementia, affecting their health, social relationships and financial security.
"Women are also most likely to be the provider of formal care in the community and in hospitals and care homes where low status, poor salary and inadequate training affects them, their family and people living with dementia.
"In New Zealand we urgently need specific public health and social care policies, with adequate funding, that support women in all aspects of their dementia journey, whether it is as a caregiver or as someone living with dementia themselves."
