Women's Dementia Risk Higher: New Study Reveals Why

About 65% of individuals experiencing dementia are women. While women generally live longer, this longevity alone does not fully account for this disparity.

A recent study involving over 17,000 adults aged 40+ explored the connection between 13 dementia risk factors, including sleep quality, and sex differences.

The research found women had a higher prevalence of several risk factors. These included fewer years of education, elevated cholesterol, depression, physical inactivity, smoking, poor vision, and poor sleep.

Conversely, men were more likely to have hearing loss, diabetes, and excessive alcohol use. High blood pressure showed a complex pattern, with younger men more affected, but older women significantly more so.

Crucially, the study suggests that some risk factors have a disproportionately larger impact on women's cognitive function compared to men's. Cardiovascular and metabolic factors, in particular, appeared to heighten cognitive risk more in women.

This implies that women might be at greater risk not only due to experiencing more risk factors but also because these factors reduce cognition to a greater degree. Therefore, tailored prevention efforts focusing on how strongly factors affect cognition in women versus men could be more effective.

The study recommends that women, especially those in midlife and early older adulthood, consider management for hearing loss, insomnia, hypertension, diabetes, and excess weight. However, it's important to note this research establishes a link rather than proving causation.