Thousands of men with Alzheimer’s never have their disease diagnosed, experts have warned.

And it is more likely to be missed among men than women, according to new research.

This means many men are likely to suffer until the end of their life without ever receiving a diagnosis.

Scientists have long believed women are far more likely to develop Alzheimer’s, because two thirds of those with the disease are women.

But researchers at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida, think men are simply more likely to go throughout life without receiving a diagnosis.

They think part of the reason is men and women show the signs of the disease in different ways.

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Scientists have long believed women are far more likely to develop Alzheimer’s, because two thirds of those with the disease are women. But researchers now think men are simply more likely to go throughout life without receiving a diagnosis

Doctors for decades have focused on memory loss as the main sign of Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia.

But the research team, presenting their findings at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference in Toronto, found men were more likely than women to have problems not related to memory.

They conducted post-mortem examinations on the brains of 1,600 people with Alzheimer’s and found men were more likely to have experienced difficulty with speech and movement.

And the area of the brain involved in memory was more likely to be spared in men compared to women.

Alzheimer’s seemed to strike men at a younger age - with a spike in cases in men in their 60s, compared with more female cases starting in their 70s and beyond.

When women get Alzheimer’s, they tend to decline more rapidly, meaning their disease is more likely to be picked up by doctors.

A second study, by St Michael’s Hospital in Toronto, found a correct diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease is only made 78 per cent of the time – for both men and women.

The researchers examined the brains of 1,073 dead people, and found 11 per cent of people had brains damaged by Alzheimer’s but had never received a diagnosis.

Another 11 per cent had been told they had Alzheimer’s – but the post-mortem examination of their brains showed no signs of the disease.

Dr Clare Walton, research manager at the Alzheimer’s Society, said: ‘An accurate and timely diagnosis of dementia is essential to enable people to live well for as long as possible.

The disease is more likely to be missed among men than women, researchers found. They think it could be because men show different signs of the disease

'If one in five people are living with a wrong diagnosis, they might not have access to treatments that can provide welcome relief from some of their symptoms.

‘Alzheimer’s was first identified in a woman in the early 1900s but these results suggest there are important differences in how the disease affects men and women.’

Dr Matthew Norton, head of policy at Alzheimer’s Research UK, added: ‘These results suggest that the disease may be affecting men and women differently, and raise the possibility that the disease may be less likely to be recognised as Alzheimer’s in men.’

Experts are rapidly learning behavioural changes – often dismissed as a ‘mid-life crisis’ or onset of the menopause – may be a warning sign that Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia are starting to strike.

Until now these warning signs were often missed, as doctors were only looking out for memory problems.