Alzheimer’s Hitting Women the Hardest

Dr. Oz is telling me how to minimize my risk of Alzheimer’s disease. Heredity hasn’t doomed me thankfully.

I was surprised to learn that Alzheimer’s is more likely to strike women in their 60s than breast cancer. Today, Alzheimer’s is the sixth leading cause of death in the United States.

Every 67 seconds someone in the United States develops Alzheimer’s disease, and it’s taking a heavier toll on women than men, according to new information released by the Alzheimer’s Association in March.

The “2014 Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Figures” [PDF] report found that women age 65 have a one in six chance of developing the disease, a type of dementia that causes problems with memory, thinking, and behavior. Meanwhile, men the same age have a one in 11 chance of developing the disease. Women in their 60s are also twice as likely to develop Alzheimer’s than breast…