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Commentary

Sex differences in Alzheimer’s disease

Yi Xing

Department of Neurology, Xuan Wu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100050, China.

Dr. Yi Xing, Department of Neurology, Xuan Wu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100050, China.
Research interest: the effects of hormones and metabolism on the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative
disorders, especially Alzheimer’s disease. Publications: eight SCI articles as the first author, including
progress in Neurobiology, Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, et al.

Recently, Koran et al. published an article, risk of progression from mild cognitive impairment
[1]
named “Sex differences in the association between (MCI) to AD. A meta-analysis showed that the risk
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) biomarkers and cognitive of progression from MCI to AD is 1.33 fold higher in
decline” in Brain Imaging and Behavior. The result women than in men. [4]
proved that there were sex-specific associations
between biomarkers of AD. This article added The pathological changes of AD are characterized
evidence to the theory of sex differences in AD. by the deposition of extracellular amyloid-β (Aβ) and
the presence of neurofibrillary tangles. Pathological
Sex difference is a common phenomenon in studies showed that females had more global AD
AD and manifests in many ways. Females are pathology than males, especially for neurofibrillary
disproportionately affected by AD. It is well known tangles. More interestingly, females were more
that females have higher prevalence of AD than susceptible for AD pathological changes. It was
males. In China, for urban population, the AD reported that 1 additional unit of AD pathology was
prevalence in male is 1.27%, while in female, it associated with a nearly 3-fold increase in the risk
is 3.54%; for rural population, this difference is of clinical AD in men; while for women, this odd
even more dramatic: 1.95% in men vs. 6.30% in increased to 20-fold. [5]
[2]
women. However, sex differences in the incidence
of AD are still inconsistent. Studies tend to show Nowadays, researchers seek to observe brain
that there are no sex differences in incidence of AD pathological changes in vivo, using magnetic
until very late of age when females have the higher resonance imaging (MRI), positron emission
[3]
incidence. However, females seem to have higher tomography or cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). More and
more studies on biomarkers of AD are underway.
Corresponding Author: Dr. Yi Xing, Department of MRI is a common and convenient method to help
Neurology, Xuan Wu Hospital, Capital Medical University,
Beijing 100050, China. Email: xingyi_211@163.com
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How to cite this article: Xing Y. Sex differences in Alzheimer’s disease.
DOI: 10.20517/2347-8659.2016.27 Neuroimmunol Neuroinflammation 2016;3;165-6.
Received: 02-06-2016; Accepted: 02-06-2016.
© 2016 Neuroimmunology and Neuroinflammation | Published by OAE Publishing Inc. 165