Heart disease
The basis of sex differences between men and women is due to sex chromosomal differences – the genotype for men is XY and XX for women. This creates profound morphological and physiological differences between men and women.
One of the most significant risk factors for Alzheimer’s is vascular and metabolic diseases such as heart disease and type 2 diabetes. While coronary artery disease is more common in men, small blood vessel disease is responsible for more heart disease in women. In addition, complications of diabetes are more common in women than in men and are associated with depression and coronary heart disease.
Thus, men and women with high blood pressure and cholesterol levels may have an equal risk of developing vascular disease. Still, women may be more susceptible to complications, resulting in the earlier or more severe onset of Alzheimer’s disease than men.
