Tag Archives: women

March is Women’s History Month, so it’s a good time to dive into research regarding women and dementia. We know that women are more likely to develop Alzheimer’s than men, but why?

One commonly cited factor is a simple one: age. Women on average live longer than men, therefore, they have an increased risk of developing conditions like Alzheimer’s, in which advanced age is a top factor. According to the Alzheimer’s Association, about two-thirds of those living with Alzheimer’s in America are women. However, the UK-based Alzheimer’s Society points out that not all studies support this theory.

One interesting data point is that the gender differences are specific to Alzheimer’s risk, and not risk of other forms of dementia, according to Harvard Health Publishing.

There are other factors, both physical and cultural, that may play a role in increased Alzheimer’s risk for women. The hormonal impacts of menstruation, pregnancy, and menopause and dementia risk is being studied, but more research is needed to reach any definitive conclusions. The Alzheimer’s Society discusses the current state of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) and dementia risk. Early research suggested that HRT may increase the risk of dementia, but newer research disputes that, and suggests that HRT may even have a protective effect. STAT also explored the latest studies on hormone therapy and dementia risk for women, with researchers focusing on the timing of hormone treatment. Harvard Health Publishing points to women’s immune systems, which are considered to be stronger than men’s immune systems, and that the robust immune response may deposit more amyloid plaque in the brain.

Genetics likely plays a role too. The Alzheimer’s Society points out that while men and women are both about as likely to have the ApoE4 gene variant, the related dementia risk seems to be greater in women that men. I have the the ApoE4 gene variant. Cases of Alzheimer’s appear on both sides of my family tree, but more of my female relatives were diagnosed. Unfortunately, I don’t know their ApoE4 gene status.

For the current elder population, gender norms of yesteryear may have limited women’s ability to receive higher education and work in more complex jobs, or have careers at all for that matter. Education levels are believed to play a role in reducing the risk of Alzheimer’s.

Moving forward, women need to advocate for more research to better understand the potential for increased Alzheimer’s risk, as well as steps women can take to reduce their risk of this terrible disease.

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Image created by Imagen-3 in Google Gemini.