Scientists suggest women at greater risk of Alzheimer's
Scientists suggest women are at a greater risk of Alzheimer's
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Monday, 12, Jan 2009 07:16
Scientists claim to have discovered a gene which increases the risk of Alzheimer's disease in women.
A report published in Nature Genetics today presents the first evidence of a gender-specific risk factor for the disease.
There are currently 700,000 people in the UK suffering from dementia and experts claim more funding is needed for crucial research aimed at tackling the disease.
Rebecca Wood, chief executive of the Alzheimer's Research Trust, commented on today's report: "Finding genes associated with Alzheimer's will tell researchers about the biology of the disease, which could lead to new treatments being developed.
"At present, the cause of Alzheimer's is unknown, but it is likely that a mixture of environmental and genetic factors is involved."
Two-thirds of people with dementia are women, experts claim. However, this is partly because women live longer and risk of developing dementia increases with age.