Men Lose Their “Wits” Earlier than Women

Women tend to live about five years longer than men according to national statistics; but it's not just men's bodies that tend to give out sooner than women's. A Mayo Clinic study has found memory skills among men also start to decline earlier. Males, from age 70 and beyond, are at least 1.5 times more likely to experience memory loss than women of the same age.

Researchers from the Mayo Clinic randomly selected 2,050 people living in Olmsted County, Minnesota, between the ages of 70 and 89, to determine the prevalence of mild cognitive impairment among men and women. The study results were presented earlier this month at the 60th annual conference of the American Academy of Neurology in Chicago.

Dr. Rosebud Roberts, and her colleagues, first administered cognitive tests to the group; these are tests of memory, judgment, and problem-solving, as well as tests of one's ability to understand and interpret both language and visual information. Interviews were then conducted with someone close to each participant, for example a spouse, who knew the extent of the subject's cognitive functions.

The participants were then divided into three categories: those with normal cognition, those with mild cognitive impairment, and those with dementia. In 2004, at the beginning of the study, 74 percent of the group tested normal; 16 percent had mild cognitive impairment, which is considered a transitional stage between normal cognitive functioning and dementia, and 10 percent actually already had dementia.

Men, it turned out, were 1.6 times more likely to have mild cognitive impairment than women. Cognitive impairment occurs when a person's memory and thinking skills are somewhat worse than what they should be based on age, and it is a risk factor for developing dementia.

Mild cognitive impairment is separate from dementia, however, people with mild cognitive impairment do progress to dementia at a rate of 10 to 12 percent a year, compared to only one or two percent a year among people who have normal cognitive functioning, says Dr. Roberts.

Alzheimer's disease is the most common form of dementia, and affects one's ability to think, reason, speak and remember. Certainly not everyone with mild cognitive impairment will eventually get Alzheimer's disease, but it does increase the odds. Other things are much more significant as risk factors for developing Alzheimer's. For example, having the gene known as apoE4 allele is a prime precursor to Alzheimer's.

Improved lifestyles can reduce the risk of dementia. One study recently linked belly fat in our middle years to dementia. A diet low in fat and cholesterol, and rich in dark vegetables and fruits, is good for both brain and body.

Exercise also can play a beneficial role: Between the ages of 50 and 65, regular moderate physical exercise, two to five times a week, can help protect against developing mild cognitive impairment later in life, according to the Mayo Clinic researchers.

Three things we can do to improve our chances of living a long and healthy life are to eat healthy, exercise both our bodies and our brains regularly, and maintain a strong social network.