02/20/2015

Are Women at Greater Risk for Alzheimer’s?

17:22 minutes

Of the 5.2 million Americans living with Alzheimer’s, nearly two-thirds are women. When it comes to adults over the age of 65, one in six women are likely to develop Alzheimer’s in contrast to one in 11 men. Why do females seem more susceptible to this disease? It’s not as simple as the fact that they tend to live longer than men. Neurologists Roberta Diaz Brinton and Michael Greicius discuss why it’s important to study women with Alzheimer’s as a distinct population, and why females might be more likely to develop the disease.

Segment Guests

Roberta Diaz Brinton

Roberta Diaz Brinton is a professor of pharmacology and pharmaceutical sciences and R. Pete Vanderveen Chair in Therapeutic Discovery and Development at the University of Southern California School of Pharmacy in Los Angeles, California.

Michael Greicius

Michael Greicius is medical director at The Stanford Center for Memory Disorders at Stanford University in Palo Alto, California.

Meet the Producer

About Becky Fogel

Becky Fogel is a newscast host and producer at Texas Standard, a daily news show broadcast by KUT in Austin, Texas. She was formerly Science Friday’s production assistant.