Mayo Clinic Minute: Women and Alzheimer's Disease

Vivien Williams: More women have Alzheimer's disease than men. Researchers want to find out why.

Kejal Kantarci, M.D.: We are learning that women may have certain risk factors that are specific to them.

Vivien Williams: Dr. Kejal Kantarci says new research focuses on whether reproductive history or exposure to hormone therapy influence a woman's risk of developing Alzheimer's disease.

Dr. Kantarci: The study I'm enrolled in involves hormone therapy during menopausal transition and how that affects the brain later life.

Vivien Williams: Dr. Kantarci and her team look for markers of Alzheimer's disease in brain scans. They also look for changes in brain structure. Thus far, studies show that normal pregnancies and exposure to hormone replacement therapy do not increase cognitive decline.

Dr. Kantarci: Certain hormonal risk factors exist, a reproductive history is an important consideration for women evaluating their Alzheimer's risk.

Vivien Williams: For the Mayo Clinic News Network, I'm Vivien Williams.