Women and Alzheimer’s Disease
Women and Alzheimer’s Disease: What You Need to Know
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) affects more women than men. In the United States, about 3.3 million women over the age of 65 are living with Alzheimer’s [1].
Women over 60 are twice as likely to develop Alzheimer’s than they are to get breast cancer. Yet, Alzheimer’s is still not seen as a women’s health issue. That needs to change.
What Is Alzheimer’s?
Alzheimer’s disease is a brain condition. It slowly damages memory, thinking, and behavior. It gets worse over time. Most people with Alzheimer’s start to show signs after age 65. In rare cases, it can happen earlier. This is called early-onset Alzheimer’s.
Alzheimer’s is the most common cause of dementia in older adults.
The disease was first discovered in 1906 by Dr. Alois Alzheimer. He found unusual changes in a woman’s brain. These included:
Plaques (clumps of a protein called beta-amyloid)
Tangles (twisted fibers of a protein called tau)
These brain changes are now known as key signs of Alzheimer’s disease.
Why Does Alzheimer’s Affect More Women?
Recent research shows that menopause plays a major role in women’s brain health. A study from Weill Cornell Medicine found that women in midlife had:
30% more Alzheimer’s plaques
22% lower brain energy (measured by glucose metabolism)
11% more brain shrinkage than men their age [2]
These brain changes were linked to menopause—not just age.
Hormonal shifts during menopause may lower estrogen levels. Estrogen helps protect the brain. When estrogen drops, brain changes linked to Alzheimer’s can increase.
What Are the Risks During Menopause?
Up to 80% of women going through menopause experience:
Memory problems
Poor sleep
Depression
Anxiety [3]
These symptoms may be mild at first. But over time, if not addressed, they may increase the risk of long-term brain issues.
Doctors found that menopause—not age—is the top risk factor for Alzheimer’s in women. Hormone therapy may help reduce some of these changes, but more research is needed.
Why Alzheimer’s in Women Is Overlooked
Even though more women are affected, Alzheimer’s disease is not often seen as a women’s issue. It doesn’t get the same attention as breast cancer or heart disease.
We need more research, more awareness, and more support for women’s brain health.
Studies show that sex differences in the brain may change how men and women age, how diseases show up, and how treatments work [4].
Early Symptoms to Watch For
Alzheimer’s starts slowly. Common early signs include:
Forgetting names or events
Trouble finding the right words
Problems with directions or spaces
Poor judgment or decision-making
Another condition, Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI), can also be an early warning sign. Not everyone with MCI gets Alzheimer’s—but it can be a red flag.
Can Alzheimer’s Be Prevented?
There is no known cure for Alzheimer’s. And no one thing can fully prevent it. But you can lower your risk.
Healthy habits that support brain health include:
Eating a balanced diet (like the MIND diet with leafy greens, berries, fish, and olive oil)
Exercising regularly
Keeping a healthy weight
Not smoking
Staying social and mentally active [5]
Lifestyle changes like these may protect the brain and delay or slow down memory loss.
The Bottom Line
Alzheimer’s is a major health concern for women. Menopause and hormonal shifts play a bigger role than many people realize.
We need to raise awareness and support women’s brain health—before memory loss begins.
You can start today by making small changes: eat well, move more, sleep better, and take care of your mental health. Protecting your brain starts now.
Sources:
Alzheimer’s Association. (2023). Facts and Figures Report.
https://www.alz.org/media/documents/alzheimers-facts-and-figures.pdfMosconi, L. et al. (2022). Sex differences in Alzheimer’s biomarkers in middle-aged adults: a multimodal imaging study.
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/26331055221132502Brinton, R. D. (2013). Neurosteroid replacement therapy: a novel strategy for healthy brain aging after menopause.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3799807/Ferretti, M. T., et al. (2020). Sex differences in Alzheimer disease — the gateway to precision medicine.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32966384/National Institute on Aging. Alzheimer’s Prevention: What Do We Know?
https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/alzheimers-prevention-what-do-we-know
