Sex differences in risk factors associated with Alzheimer’s dementia patients with irritability and anger

Background

The objective of this study is to identify risk factors that contribute to sex differences in Alzheimer dementia (AD) patients that also present with irritability and anger (ADIA) and determine whether these factors are different between male and female patients with ADIA.

Method

We used data from the of database for AD with a history of irritability and collected from a large academic center from 2016 to 2020. A total of 128,769 patients with AD were identified: 72,896 females and 55,873 males. Univariate was used to stratified risk factors base on sex and presence or absence of anger and irritability among AD patients. The adjusted odds ratios (ORs) and 95 % confidence intervals (CIs) for each risk factor or demographic were used to predict the odds of a specific risk factors being associated with male or female ADIA.

Result

In the adjusted analysis, male ADIA patients were more likely to present with hypertension (OR = 2.894, 95 % CI, 2.079–4.028), insomnia (OR = 1.736, 95 % CI, 1.132–2.663), dyslipidemia (OR = 1.974, 95 % CI, 1.119–3.482), and peripheral vascular disease (OR = 44.135, 95 % CI, 4.344–448.364). Females were more likely to present with osteoporosis (OR = 0.002, 95 % CI, 0.001–0.023), gait dysfunction (OR = 0.034, 95 % CI, 0.003–0.452), anxiety (OR = 0.634, 95 % CI, 0.472–0.852), urinary tract infection (OR = 0.157, 95 % CI, 0.063–0.393), headaches (OR = 0.121, 95 % CI, 0.052–0.282) and pneumonia (OR = 0.209, 95 % CI, 0.114–0.384).

Conclusion

This study reveals key sex differences in ADIA patients. A population-based approach that tackles inequalities in risk factors may offer population-based healthcare and care of male and female ADIA patients.