Women may face greater cognitive impact from dementia risk factors

Researchers from the University of California San Diego School of Medicine found that women not only experience a higher burden of certain modifiable dementia risk factors, but also appear more vulnerable to their effects on cognitive function. The study, which analyzed data from more than 17,000 middle-aged and older adults, was published on May 19, 2026 in Biology of Sex Differences.

Looking beyond which risk factors are most common, we found that some have a disproportionately larger impact on women's cognition. This suggests that prevention efforts may be more effective if they are tailored not just to risk factor prevalence, but to how strongly each factor affects cognition in women versus men."

Megan Fitzhugh, PhD, assistant professor of neurosciences at UC San Diego School of Medicine and first author of the study

Dementia, including Alzheimer's disease, affects women at higher rates than men, a disparity that has drawn increasing scientific attention. In fact, of the seven million adults living with Alzheimer's disease, nearly two-thirds are women. While women tend to live longer, longevity alone does not fully explain the difference in Alzheimer's outcomes. Researchers are now examining how combinations of biological, social and lifestyle factors contribute to this imbalance - particularly those that can be modified over time.