Abstract:
Background: Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease of the elderly, being recognized worldwide as the most common cause of dementia.
However, the harm generated by this disease to women and men is disproportionate, in women the disease is recorded twice as much. Numerous research
studies have tried to find an answer regarding the causes of this disproportionality. So far, some fundamental differences between macroscopic, microscopic
and biochemical structures of female vs. male brain have been investigated. First of all, emphasis was placed on macroscopic structural differences. In this
study, a particular role was attributed to APOE4 gene which was shown to be an increased risk factor of AD in women who possess this allele. Hormonal
changes in women, such as decreased postmenopausal estrogen, greatly influence disease incidence and prevalence. All these factors tell about the increased
susceptibility of women to this disease. However, the definite mechanisms of this disease are incompletely elucidated and further studies are needed.
Conclusions: The identification of pathobiochemical mechanisms based on gender, that influence the incidence and prevalence of Alzheimer’s disease
is essential. Thus, it could be a target in the development of effective preventive therapeutic strategies from the prodromal phase of the disease. In this
context, the development of personalized treatment according to gender specifics should be considered in future.
Description:
Department of Biochemistry and Clinical Biochemistry Nicolae Testimitanu State University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Chisinau, the Republic of Moldova