Women’s Brain Health: Hidden Dementia Risks Revealed

New research highlights significant, yet often overlooked, lifestyle factors impacting cognitive decline in women.

New findings suggest that specific lifestyle choices and health conditions disproportionately affect women’s cognitive function, potentially increasing their risk for dementia. The study emphasizes the need for personalized health strategies tailored to both gender and age.

Unpacking Modifiable Risk Factors

Research presented at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference (AAIC) 2025 indicates that women face a higher prevalence of certain modifiable dementia risk factors compared to men. Six such factors were more common in women, while only three were more prevalent in men.

“Clinicians should familiarize themselves with the 14 identified modifiable risk factors, and if their patients have these risk factors, consider their sex and age, and try to target the behavior changes accordingly to minimize the impact on cognition and dementia risk,” stated study author **Megan Fitzhugh**, PhD, assistant professor at the University of California San Diego.

The study, which analyzed data from over 17,000 individuals, focused on risk factors identified by the Lancet Report on Dementia Prevention, which posits that approximately 45% of dementia risk is potentially modifiable.

Cognitive Impact Varies by Sex and Age

Investigators observed that the cognitive impact of some risk factors was more pronounced in women. Notably, hearing loss and diabetes appeared to have a greater detrimental effect on women’s cognitive performance than on men’s.

For instance, diabetes showed a significant dip in cognitive scores for women, while its impact on men’s cognition was relatively minimal. Similarly, poor sleep, elevated BMI, hypertension, vision loss, lower education levels, and hearing loss were found to negatively impact cognitive function more in women.

“The way I think about age in this study is it’s telling us when, potentially, we should be targeting these risk factors,” **Fitzhugh** added, suggesting that interventions should be time-sensitive.

Targeted Interventions for Women

Hearing loss, identified as a major modifiable risk factor, proved particularly impactful for women. Despite its higher prevalence in men, its effect on cognitive function was more severe in women. This highlights a critical need for proactive hearing health management in women.

“Maybe we should be targeting women with hearing loss in middle to older age, making sure they get hearing aids,” **Fitzhugh** suggested. Her research also indicated that women with hearing loss have a heightened dementia risk compared to men with the same condition.

Age-Specific Vulnerabilities

The study also revealed age-related variations in risk factor impact. For women, hearing loss had the greatest cognitive effect during middle to older age. Poor sleep was significant only in middle age, a period often coinciding with menopause.

Interestingly, among men, only smoking demonstrated a notable increase in cognitive impact, and this was specifically observed in the older age group.

Expert Commentary on Brain Health Strategies

Commenting on the findings, **Liisa Galea**, PhD, a leading researcher in women’s mental health, noted the surprising association between more modifiable factors and cognition in females. “Clearly these factors are important for everyone, but we need more targeted messaging to women across the lifespan about the importance of these variables for their brain health,” she said.

The implications of this research are significant for public health initiatives. For example, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that individuals who are physically active tend to have better cognitive function as they age, underscoring the importance of addressing sedentary lifestyles, particularly in at-risk populations (CDC).