MEMORIES-MEN

NEW YORK

Lost the car keys? Forgot someone's name? Many elderly people suffer slight cognitive problems but men are more likely than women to suffer momentary memory lapse or

senior moments, according to a US study.

Researchers from the Mayo Alzheimer's Disease Research Center in Rochester, Minnesota, found 19 per cent of men aged 70 to 89 years had so-called mild cognitive impairment, compared

to only 14 percent of women.

People with mild cognitive impairment have problems with memory but can carry out everyday activities and generally realize that they're forgetful. The National Institutes of

Health says ''mild cognitive impairment'' falls in between normal forgetfulness and dementia.

Researcher Dr Ronald Petersn said the findings were surprising because Alzheimer's disease, which is preceded by this type of mental decline, affects more women than men.

Even after accounting for differences in education, age, and diseases like diabetes and hypertension, men had about 50 percent higher odds than women of having mild cognitive

impairment.

Sep 2010