WITH International Women’s Day this Sunday (March 8) and Mother’s Day at the end of the month, March is a time where we celebrate women. With this in mind it seems like the perfect time to shine a light on dementia as a women’s issue.
Women are disproportionately affected by dementia and make up 65 per cent of people who currently have the condition in the UK. Dementia is the leading cause of death among women in the UK, more than breast cancer.
Research shows women not only face a greater prevalence of the condition, but also fulfil the majority of care support roles. Women are more likely to become informal carers, with 60 to 70 per cent of people caring for someone with dementia being women.
But why is dementia different for women? We know women are more likely to develop Alzheimer’s – the most common type of dementia. This is the case even if we allow for the fact women on average live longer. The reasons for this are still unclear. We don’t fully understand why women are more likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease than men, but one of the main theories is to do with the hormone oestrogen.
It has been suggested Alzheimer’s disease in women is linked to a lack of oestrogen after the menopause. However, controlled trials of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) have not been shown to reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer’s and HRT is not a recommended treatment for dementia.
There are lots of conflicting evidence around HRT and the risks of developing dementia. So much is still unknown and there’s not enough research focusing solely on women to draw any definite conclusions. That is why we need more research into dementia. Research will beat dementia, but we need more funding to find a cure.
There are lots of ways to support research, from helping to raise vital funds or becoming a research volunteer.
Visit www.alzheimers.org.uk/get-involved for more.
Kumbi Mandinyenya
Alzheimer’s Society Area Manager for Midlands Shires
