Despite the higher rates of dementia and longer llifespan usually seen among

women, it appears that men are at a higher risk for mild cognitive impairment
(MCI) than women, based on finding to the study, "The Incidence of MCI Differs by
Subtype and is Higher in Men," published online in Neurology®, the medical journal
of the American Academy of Neurology.

“These results are surprising, given that women generally have higher rates of
dementia than men,” said R.O. Roberts, MB ChB, MS, study co-author, and of
the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn

The study found that the number of new cases of MCI per year was higher in
men, at 72 per 1,000 people compared to 57 per 1,000 people in women and 64
per 1,000 people in men and women combined. MCI with memory loss present
was more common at 38 per 1,000 people than MCI where memory loss was not
present, which affected 15 per 1,000 people. Those who had less education or
were not married also had higher rates of MCI.

The study suggests that risk factors for mild cognitive impairment should be
studied separately in men and women,” said Roberts.

The incidence of MCI differs by subtype and is higher in men:

The Mayo Clinic Study of Aging
R.O. Roberts, Y.E. Geda, D.S. Knopman, R.H. Cha, V.S. Pankratz, B.F. Boeve, E.G. Tangalos,
R.J. Ivnik, W.A. Rocca, and R.C. Petersen. Email: roberts.rosebud@mayo.edu

http://www.neurology.org/content/early/2012/01/25/WNL.0b013e3182452862.full.pdf
+html

Abstract

Objective: Although incidence rates for mild cognitive impairment (MCI) have been
reported, few studies were specifically designed to measure the incidence of MCI and its
subtypes using published criteria. We estimated the incidence of amnestic MCI (aMCI) and
nonamnestic MCI (naMCI) in men and women separately.

Methods: A population-based prospective cohort of Olmsted County, MN, residents ages

70–89 years on October 1, 2004, underwent baseline and 15-month interval evaluations
that included the Clinical Dementia Rating scale, a neurologic evaluation, and
neuropsychological testing. A panel of examiners blinded to previous diagnoses reviewed
data at each serial evaluation to assess cognitive status according to published criteria.

Results: Among 1,450 subjects who were cognitively normal at baseline, 296 developed
MCI. The age- and sex-standardized incidence rate of MCI was 63.6 (per 1,000 person-
years) overall, and was higher in men (72.4) than women (57.3) and for aMCI (37.7) than
naMCI (14.7). The incidence rate of aMCI was higher for men (43.9) than women (33.3),
and for subjects with ≤12 years of education (42.6) than higher education (32.5). The risk
of naMCI was also higher for men (20.0) than women (10.9) and for subjects with ≤12
years of education (20.3) than higher education (10.2).

Conclusions: The incidence rates for MCI are substantial. Differences in incidence rates by
clinical subtype and by sex suggest that risk factors for MCI should be investigated
separately for aMCI and naMCI, and in men and women.