“A Biological Determinant in the Pathophysiology and Pharmacology of Neurovascular and Neurodegenerative Diseases: Sex”

Abstract

As our population ages, dementia is becoming more widespread. Cerebrovascular and neurodegenerative illnesses are the main causes of dementia. More than 80% of instances of dementia are caused by vascular cognitive impairment (VCI) and Alzheimer disease (AD). For AD and disorders connected to VCI, such as stroke and cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA), there aren't many long-term, effective treatments available. This study focuses on three main types of dementia: stroke, which is the most prevalent cause of "vascular" dementia, AD, which is the most common "neurodegenerative" cause of dementia, and CAA, which is a "emerging" cause of dementia. We will go over the literature that is currently accessible on pharmaceutical therapies that show sex differences. By sex differences, we mean any combination of hormonal, chromosomal, gonadal, or anatomical differences that exist between males and females. We will stress how crucial it is to view sex as a biological factor in the planning of preclinical and clinical research on dementia that looks into underlying pathologies or the way the disease responds to medication.