Women bear most of the burden of Alzheimer’s disease, not only making up most of the patients with the condition but also doing most of the demanding work of caring for Alzheimer’s patients.
Kim Johnson, MD, a neurologist at our Morreene Road Memory Disorders Clinic, treats these patients on a daily basis. In our third entry in our “Neurology and Women’s Health” series, she discusses possible reasons why women are more vulnerable to Alzheimer’s, the links between Alzheimer’s disease and mental illnesses and depression, and the economic, physical, and emotional tolls of being a caregiver. Johnson also discusses the progress we’ve seen in identifying Alzheimer’s disease, how women can reduce their risk for developing it, and large-scale efforts to prevent or delay the condition.