Sexual dimorphism in predisposition to Alzheimer's disease

Clinical studies indicate that Alzheimer's disease (AD) disproportionately affects women in both disease prevalence and rate of symptom progression, but the mechanisms underlying this sexual divergence are unknown. Although some have suggested this difference in risk is a reflection of the known differences in longevity between men and women, mounting clinical and preclinical evidence supports women also having intrinsic susceptibilities toward the disease. Although a number of potential risk factors have been hypothesized to mediate these differences, none have been definitively verified. In this review, we first summarize the epidemiologic studies of prevalence and incidence of AD among the sexes. Next, we discuss the most likely risk factors to date that interact with biological sex, including (1) genetic factors, (2) sex hormones (3) deviations in brain structure, (4) inflammation and microglia, and (5) and psychosocial stress responses. Overall, though differences in life span are likely to account for part of the divide between the sexes in AD prevalence, the abundance of preclinical and clinical evidence presented here suggests an increase in intrinsic AD risk for women. Therefore, future studies focusing on the underlying biological mechanisms for this phenomenon are needed to better understand AD pathogenesis in both sexes, with the eventual goal of sex-specific prevention and treatment strategies.