Alzheimer’s-related brain changes progressed up to 20 times faster in women who also had abnormal levels of a Parkinson’s-related protein, according to a Mayo Clinic study published in JAMA Network Open. The same pattern was not observed in men.
The findings suggest that when alpha-synuclein – a protein linked to Parkinson’s disease – accumulates alongside Alzheimer’s pathology, it may drive faster disease progression in women. That interaction could help explain a long-standing disparity: women make up nearly two-thirds of people living with Alzheimer’s disease in the U.S.
Kejal Kantarci, M.D., a Mayo Clinic neuroradiologist and senior author of the study, uses advanced brain imaging to track Alzheimer’s progression.
Recognizing these sex-specific differences could help us design more targeted…