New study reveals surprising gender differences in dementia outcomes

(NaturalHealth365)  After following nearly 6 million Medicare patients for eight years, researchers found something nobody expected: men with dementia are dying faster than women, and the healthcare system is getting slammed harder when men get sick.

Duke University researchers dug through data from 5.7 million Americans who developed dementia between 2014 and 2021.  They found that men were 24% more likely to die after getting diagnosed, even when you factor in age, race, money, and other health issues.  Within a year of diagnosis, over 27% of men had died versus about 22% of women.  That gap stayed consistent throughout the entire study.

Why men get hit harder

Several factors help explain why men face tougher battles when dementia strikes.

Men often get diagnosed later in the disease process compared to women, leaving families with less runway to plan and adapt. This delayed recognition means missing crucial windows for early interventions that could make a real difference down the road.

Heart health plays a significant role in how dementia unfolds.  Men carry higher rates of cardiovascular problems – heart disease, strokes, high blood pressure – and these conditions can turbocharge dementia progression while making complications more dangerous.

The research confirmed that men ended up hospitalized for behavioral crises far more frequently than women, suggesting they experience more intense episodes of agitation, confusion, or disruptive behavior that push families beyond their limits.

Families dealing with severe behavioral episodes in male dementia patients face extraordinary demands.  These situations can escalate quickly, creating safety risks and emotional exhaustion that stretch home caregiving beyond what’s manageable, driving increased emergency room visits and facility placements.

Natural ways to protect your brain

This study looked at what happens after people already have dementia, but there’s solid research on natural approaches that might help keep your brain healthy:

Eat foods that fight brain inflammation: Your brain can get inflamed just like any other part of your body, and that inflammation damages brain cells.  Wild-caught salmon, blueberries, spinach, and turmeric have compounds that calm down inflammation in your brain.

Get toxins out of your system: Heavy metals, pesticides, and chemicals build up in your brain over decades.  Eating foods that help your body detox naturally while avoiding new exposures might help reduce this toxic load.

Feed your brain what it needs: Brain cells need specific nutrients to work properly.  Good fats from fish or avocados, B vitamins, vitamin D, and antioxidants from real food give your brain the building blocks it needs.

Deal with stress and old trauma: Chronic stress and unresolved emotional issues can age your brain faster.  Things like meditation, therapy, and finding ways to manage stress might help protect your memory and thinking.

Cut back on wireless radiation: More research is showing that constant exposure to WiFi, cell phones, and other wireless devices might adversely affect your brain.  Simple changes to reduce exposure could help long-term.

Take care of your mouth: Poor dental health and hidden infections in your mouth are directly linked to higher dementia risk.  Good dental care and fixing infections will help to protect your brain.

Prevention Still Wins

This research focused on what happens after dementia hits, but preventing it in the first place offers way better odds.  Top experts now think most dementia cases could be prevented if people made the right lifestyle changes decades before symptoms show up.

Understanding what actually causes dementia – poor nutrition, infections, metabolic problems, toxic buildup – gives us ways to intervene before the damage becomes permanent.

We still have big questions

Dementia cases are expected to nearly triple by 2050, hitting close to 14 million Americans.  This research shows that burden won’t hit everyone equally, so we need approaches that handle both prevention and care in smarter ways.

If you want to learn cutting-edge strategies for preventing and addressing dementia, get access to Jonathan Landsman’s Alzheimer’s and Dementia Summit featuring 31 expert presentations from leading brain health specialists sharing evidence-based approaches to cognitive protection.  Discover natural strategies for brain detoxification, inflammation reduction, nutritional support, and lifestyle interventions that may help prevent or slow cognitive decline.  Protect your brain health today.

Sources for this article include:

Jamanetwork.com
Medicalxpress.com

The post New study reveals surprising gender differences in dementia outcomes appeared first on NaturalHealth365.

Visit Natural Health 365 Here /

Source: https://www.naturalhealth365.com/new-study-reveals-surprising-gender-differences-in-dementia-outcomes.html