PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — More than 6 million Americans have Alzheimer’s disease, and two-thirds of them are women. Some new research might provide a clue as to why this is the case.
The difficulty with finding treatments for dementia lies in the fact that there are numerous causes. Even in those cases where we can identify a cause — as in the case of Alzheimer’s disease — there is confusion.
One of the more perplexing issues with Alzheimer’s is the fact that over 60% of cases are in women. Some researchers have pointed to the reduction in the hormone estrogen at menopause, while others have looked at certain genetic factors.
Researchers at the University of Chicago have stumbled onto a potential link: a gene called 06-methylguanine-dna-methylyltransferase. “MGMT,” as it is called, helps repair DNA. For some reason, it does not work as well in women, and there may be a link to alzheimers. Yet another puzzle piece in a very complex picture.
KYW Newsradio’s Medical Reports are sponsored by Independence Blue Cross.