Reproductive period and dementia: A 44‐year longitudinal population study of Swedish women

Abstract

Introduction Longitudinal studies examining the effect of endogenous estrogens on dementia risk are needed to understand why women have higher dementia incidence than men after age 85. Methods A population‐based sample of women with natural menopause (N = 1364) from Gothenburg, Sweden, was followed from 1968‐2012. Information on endogenous estrogens (age at menarche and menopause, number of pregnancies, and months of breastfeeding) was obtained from interviews in 1968‐1992. Dementia was diagnosed according to established criteria based on information from neuropsychiatric examinations and close informant interviews. Results We found that longer reproductive period was associated with increased risk of dementia (hazard ratio [HR] per year 1.06, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.03‐1.20) and Alzheimer's disease (AD) (1.06, 1.02‐1.11), particularly for those with dementia (1.10, 1.04‐1.17) and AD (1.15, 1.06‐1.26) onset after age 85. Discussion These results may explain why women have higher dementia incidence compared to men after age 85, the age with the highest number of dementia cases.

Inclusion in education later in life: Why older adults engage in education activities

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“…Although screening for dementia in populations without symptoms was not recommended by the United States Preventative Services Task Force based on evidence available before the end of 2012, screening in people with symptoms and at high risk for AD is important for early detection and diagnosis of AD, and is particularly critical for preparing patients and family members for the future prognosis of the disease. Furthermore, given the new evidence of potentially effective preventive measures and the benefits of early diagnosis of AD that the Alzheimer's Association outline in a special report entitled “Alzheimer's Disease: Financial and Personal Benefits of Early Diagnosis” in its 2018 “Alzheimer's Disease Figures and Facts”—including medical, financial, social, and emotional benefitswe believe that the United States Preventative Services Task Force may revise their recommendation in the near future in favor of screening people over a certain age without symptoms for AD.…”