Men more likely to have memory problems, says study

MCI, which often leads to Alzheimer's disease, has been found to be 1.5 times higher in males. The findings are surprising because “most people believe that women are at higher risk than men,” said study author Dr. Ronald Petersen.

Males more likely to be forgetful?
It implies that males are more prone to problems with memory beyond that explained by the normal rate of aging.

In everyday life, the disease is seen as forgetfulness. The sufferers normally carry out all functions, but they are inclined to forget a little more than other individuals.

According to the National Institutes of Health, “mild cognitive impairment” falls somewhere between normal forgetfulness and dementia.

Memory loss slightly varies with gender
Researchers from the Mayo Alzheimer's Disease Research Center in Rochester, Minnesota, interviewed 2,050 people between the ages of 70 to 89 in Olmstead County, Minn.

The study participants were questioned about their medical history and memory. They were also tested on their thinking skills.

Nearly 14 percent of participants were found to have mild cognitive impairment; about 10 per cent of them suffered dementia, while the rest 76 per cent had normal memory and thinking skills.

However, a significant gender difference was noted. Nineteen percent of the men in the study had mild cognitive impairment, compared to just 14 per cent of women.

Though cognitive impairment cannot be cured with drugs, researchers suggest that small lifestyle changes could help.

“This is the first study conducted among community-dwelling persons to find a higher prevalence of MCI in men,” said Dr. Petersen, with the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn.

“If these results are confirmed in other studies, it may suggest that factors related to gender play a role in the disease. For example, men may experience cognitive decline earlier in life but more gradually, whereas women may transition from normal memory directly to dementia at a later age but more quickly,” he added.

Education, marriage also affect memory
About 25 percent of senior citizens were found to have cognitive problems beyond the signs of normal aging.

Also, it was found that people with little or no education, and those who never married, were more prone to develop MCI.

Though cognitive impairment cannot be cured with drugs, researchers suggest that small lifestyle changes could help. They recommend keeping up with friends and family, eating well and remaining physically active, to keep cognitive problems at bay.

“There are more and more data coming out indicating that some of these lifestyle modifications may work,” said Dr. Petersen.

The study was published in the latest print issue of 'Neurology,' the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.