Women who complain of poor memory may be at an increased risk for dementia later in life. In a recent study, researchers found that older women who had memory complaints at the start of the data collection period had a 70% greater risk of being diagnosed with a memory and thinking disorder nearly twenty years later. Furthermore, women who reported memory problems at the mid-point of the study were 90% more likely to be diagnosed with a cognitive impairment over the following decade. The findings provide further evidence that memory complaints should receive closer attention, as they may be an early sign of more severe memory and thinking problems later in life.
Neurology, October 2015