Khaberni - A scientific study identified the genetic reason behind the higher rates of Alzheimer's disease incidence in women compared to men, revealing that sex chromosomes play a pivotal role in this phenomenon.
Alzheimer's disease is the most common form of dementia, accounting for about 60% of all diagnoses. Statistics show that women constitute the majority of these cases, with a ratio reaching up to two-thirds.
In search of an explanation for this significant health disparity, the research team identified a specific gene on the female X chromosome named Kdm6a, which activates the inflammatory response in the brain's microglial cells.
This discovery followed a series of experiments on genetically modified mice, where it was observed that deactivating this gene led to a significant improvement in symptoms similar to multiple sclerosis and other neurological diseases, with more effective results in females compared to males.
The study published in Science Translational Medicine reported that women having two X chromosomes doubles the harmful inflammatory dose in their bodies, unlike men who have only one X chromosome.
The results also revealed the possibility of using the diabetes drug metformin as an inhibitor for this gene and its inflammatory molecules, after it had been prescribed more than 26.4 million times in England during the current year.
Dr. Ronda Voscul, head of the research team, explained that these results not only explain the higher rates of Alzheimer's and multiple sclerosis among women but might also provide a key to understanding the "brain fog" phenomenon experienced by two-thirds of healthy women during menopause. She added: "This genetic difference means that women may respond differently to treatments, which opens the door to developing therapeutic methods customized by sex."
Although there is no cure for dementia yet, early diagnosis allows for personalized treatment plans and prescribing medications and treatments that can delay the onset of the disease.
This study emphasizes the need for developing treatments customized by sex, and it opens the way for using already available drugs like metformin to treat neurological diseases.
