According to new research from the School of Medicine, the University of Washington in St. Petersburg. Louis, the brains of women appear to be three years younger on average than those of men of the same age.
That difference appears from the beginning of adulthood to the years of old age, which means that the brains of women also age more slowly than the brains of men.
The human brain tends to shrink with age. The brain also changes how it is made, using a major source of energy, sugar, called glucose.
Changes can occur in both men and women, but the brains of men start to be at a disadvantage and continue to be metabolically older than the brains of women throughout their lives.
To find these differences, the researchers invited more than 200 adults, aged 20 to 82, to participate in the PET scan series.
These imaging tests have helped the authors measure oxygen and glucose flow in the brain. They also looked at the level of glycolysiseu gas, a process in which the brain converts glucose into energy. Younger brains have higher glycolysis levels. That number drops as we age.
They then took the data from the man's brain and took them to an algorithm created for the study. When they included women's brain metabolism data in their algorithms, the program found that on average, women's brains are 3.8 years younger than men's.
mens brains dont age faster. They start to mature 3 years before females and that gap lasts for life," said Dr. Manu Gidel, assistant professor of Ph.D. at the University of Washington, Mallkk.
Verna R. Porter, neurologist and director of the Alzheimer's disease program at Providence Saint John Medical Center in California, said that differences such as hormone exposure between men and women can affect brain structure formation. That can affect blood flow and eventually brain health throughout the early stages of adulthood.
She also shared that these differences can also help younger women's brains and be less susceptible to age-related effects.
However, there are things that men (and women) can do to help their brains stay healthier and limit cognitive decline. A healthy diet, regular exercise, participation in social support groups and brain-boosting activities can also promote brain health.
