Social, economic disadvantage may increase women's risk of dementia

Social and economic disadvantage may explain, at least in part, the higher risk of dementia among women, a new study suggests.

A survey of some 30,000 people in 18 countries found that the risk of dementia was higher among women in poorer countries, even though the risk factors affected both men and women.

"There has long been this notion that women are at greater risk of dementia than men," commented professor Sylvie Belleville, who holds the Canada Research Chair in Cognitive Neuroscience of Aging and Brain Plasticity.

"It's really quite intriguing, and we now know that there are a whole bunch of lifestyle factors or things that happen to us during our lives that are going to have an impact on our risk of developing dementia."

This study, she continued, "greatly refines our understanding and illustrates the complexity of dementia, how different factors interact to increase our risk," whether it is socio-economic background, social background or even generation.

Women's higher risk of dementia is often associated with their greater longevity than men, which increases the number of years the disease can occur.