Men's Minds Degrade Earlier

Men are more likely to experience "mild cognitive decline," a new study suggests. Researchers studying seniors aged 70 to 89 found that men were diagnosed with MCI 1.5 times more often than women, ABC News reports. MCI, characterized by a deterioration of memory and thinking, can be a precursor to Alzheimer's.

Previous research has shown that women are more likely to get Alzheimer's overall—possibly a consequence of living longer. The new evidence suggests that the disease's development differs based on gender. "Men may experience cognitive decline earlier but stay in that stage longer, while women don't see cognitive impairment until later in life but have an abrupt decline into dementia," says the lead researcher.
(More Alzheimer's disease stories.)