Do you occasionally forget to put on socks? Have you ever not remembered your spouse’s name? Are you sitting there, wondering what you’re doing reading this article? Well, you’re probably a man.
According to a study from the Mayo Alzheimer’s Disesase Research Center, men are more prone to momentary memory lapse (“senior moments”) than women. The condition is known as mild cognitive impairment.
Researchers randomly sampled 2,000 men and women, ages 70 to 89, in Olmstead County, Minnesota. Each participant was tested for signs of mild cognitive impairment and dementia.
About a quarter of the subjects showed cognitive problems other than aging. Nineteen percent of men demonstrated mild cognitive impairment, while only 14 percent of women showed the same signs.
“Even after accounting for differences in education, age, and diseases like diabetes and hypertension,” said the report, “men had about 50 percent higher odds than women of having mild cognitive impairment.”
The results surprised researchers because mild cognitive impairment normally precedes Alzheimer’s disease, which affects more women than men.
“The researchers speculated that perhaps men get memory problems earlier in life, but then decline more slowly than women. In other words, the reason more men have mild cognitive impairment might be that more women are skipping that stage and going directly to dementia.”
Cognitive impairment becomes more common as people get older. However, those with a more extensive education are less likely to experience impairment.
In a surprise to no one, the researchers recommend an active and healthy lifestyle to ward off more serious cognitive problems.