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. 2015 Mar;11(3):310-320.
doi: 10.1016/j.jalz.2013.10.005. Epub 2014 Jan 10.

Gender and incidence of dementia in the Framingham Heart Study from mid-adult life

Geneviève Chêne #  1 , Alexa Beiser #  2   3 , Rhoda Au  2 , Sarah R Preis  3 , Philip A Wolf  2 , Carole Dufouil  1 , Sudha Seshadri  2
Affiliations

Gender and incidence of dementia in the Framingham Heart Study from mid-adult life

Geneviève Chêne et al. Alzheimers Dement. 2015 Mar.

Abstract

Background: Gender-specific risks for dementia and Alzheimer's disease (AD) starting in midlife remain largely unknown.

Methods: Prospectively ascertained dementia/AD and cause-specific mortality in Framingham Heart Study (FHS) participants was used to generate 10- to 50-year risk estimates of dementia/AD on the basis of the Kaplan-Meier method (cumulative incidence) or accounting for competing risk of death (lifetime risk [LTR]).

Results: Overall, 777 cases of incident dementia (601 AD) occurred in 7901 participants (4333 women) over 136,266 person-years. Whereas cumulative incidences were similar in women and men, LTRs were higher in women older than 85 years of age. LTR of dementia/AD at age 45 was 1 in 5 in women and 1 in 10 in men. Cardiovascular mortality was higher in men with rate ratios decreasing from approximately 6 at 45 to 54 years of age to less than 2 after age 65.

Conclusion: Selective survival of men with a healthier cardiovascular risk profile and hence lower propensity to dementia might partly explain the higher LTR of dementia/AD in women.

Keywords: Alzheimer's disease; Cardiovascular risk profile; Cohort/population-based cohort; Gender; Incidence of dementia; Mortality; Prevention; Selective survival.

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Figures

Figure 1a
Figure 1a
Remaining lifetime risk of dementia at index age 45, not corrected for competing risk of mortality, Framingham Heart Study.
Figure 1b
Figure 1b
Remaining lifetime risk of dementia at index age 45, corrected for competing risk of mortality, Framingham Heart Study.
Figure 1c
Figure 1c
Remaining lifetime risk of dementia at index age 65, not corrected for competing risk of mortality, Framingham Heart Study.
Figure 1d
Figure 1d
Remaining lifetime risk of dementia at index age 65, corrected for competing risk of mortality, Framingham Heart Study.
Figure 2a
Figure 2a
Survival after index age 45, Framingham Heart Study.
Figure 2b
Figure 2b
Survival after index age 65, Framingham Heart Study.
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