Effect of fertility history and parity on Alzheimer’s disease: a mini review from animal to human studies

Abstract

More women than men have Alzheimer’s disease (AD) or other dementias. There are a number of potential biological and social reasons for the sex difference in the risk of AD, such as women live longer than men on average, and estrogen depletion after menopause in women, biological or genetic variations, and education, occupation or rates of heart disease. Recent studies showed a link between reproductive history and dementia risk in women. Women with fertility history showed lower risk of dementia compared to women with no child. Other studies also suggested that women’s pregnancy history may influence AD’s risk. In this review, we will focus on the relationship between women fertility and cognition and discuss the potential role of sex hormones in the brain and cognition, especially on AD pathogenesis.

Keywords

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) / fertility history / cognition / sex hormones