Men face a substantially higher risk of mild memory loss as they age than women, according to a new study.
Mayo Clinic researchers -- reporting in an online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology -- said that while women typically have higher rates of serious dementia, men are more likely to experience the milder form of memory loss known as “mild cognitive impairment.”
To reach the conclusions, researchers observed tracked 1,450 individuals -- aged 70 to 89 – over three years. By the end of the study, memory testing and evaluations determined 296 of the participants had developed MCI.
The new cases in men per year were much higher -- at 72 out of 1,000, compared to 57 out of 1,000 in women, the study found.
According to the researchers, risk factors for MCI include low levels of education, diabetes, hypertension, and obesity, lack of exercise and lack of mental stimulation.
The study was partly funded by the National Institutes of Health.