Study Finds Dementia Risks May Affect Women Differently
Women account for nearly two thirds of Alzheimer’s disease cases in the United States, and a study suggests that some common dementia risk factors may have a stronger association with cognitive decline in women than in men.
Researchers at the University of California San Diego School of Medicine analyzed data from more than 17,000 middle-aged and older adults. Their findings, published May 19, 2026, in Biology of Sex Differences, examined 13 established and potentially modifiable dementia risk factors, including education, hearing loss, smoking, alcohol use, obesity, depression, inactivity, hypertension and diabetes.
The study found that women reported higher rates of depression, physical inactivity and sleep problems than men. Women also had slightly lower average educational attainment. Men, by contrast, reported higher rates of hearing loss, diabetes and heavy alcohol use. Hypertension was common in both groups, affecting about six in 10 participants.
Beyond differences in how often risk factors appeared, researchers found that several factors were more strongly linked to lower cognitive performance among women. Cardiometabolic conditions, including high blood pressure and elevated body mass index, showed steeper negative associations with cognition in women. Hearing loss and diabetes, although more common among men, were also more strongly associated with poorer cognitive scores in women.
The authors said the results may help explain why women experience a larger burden of Alzheimer’s disease, though they noted that longer life expectancy does not fully account for the gap. They also said the findings support a more tailored approach to dementia prevention, with attention to how risk factors may operate differently by sex.
Potential interventions could include improved management of depression, physical activity, cardiovascular health and untreated hypertension. Researchers said further studies are needed to clarify the biological, genetic and social factors behind these differences.