July 2024 – 

Learn more about the different types of dementia and how they impact men and women differently.

Dementia encompasses a range of symptoms, such as memory loss and difficulty with reasoning, which interfere with daily life and result from various brain changes.

Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia, accounting for 60-80% of dementia cases, and it affects women disproportionately. Key points include:

• Nearly two-thirds of Americans with Alzheimer’s disease are women. ¹
• Despite women living longer, this factor alone does not fully explain their higher likelihood of developing Alzheimer’s. Women are more frequently diagnosed than men even among those of the same age.
• Over 60% of caregivers for Alzheimer’s disease and dementia are women.²
• Spousal caregivers of individuals with dementia are at a six-fold increased risk of developing dementia themselves. ³
• Higher rates of Alzheimer’s in women may be attributed to a combination of biological factors (such as hormonal and genetic differences) and social factors (including education and occupation). ⁴

However, there are other less common forms of dementia that appear to have slightly higher rates in men. These include vascular dementia accounting for 17-30% of dementia cases; Lewy body dementia accounting for about 5% of dementia cases; Parkinson’s disease dementia accounting for 3-4% of dementia cases; and mixed dementia. ^5,6

The reasons for these increased risks in men are not yet fully understood, but potential explanations include hormonal and biological factors, lifestyle risk factors such as smoking, high blood pressure, and diabetes (more prevalent in men), and genetic factors.

While research is ongoing, these factors collectively influence the varying prevalence of different types of dementia between men and women.

For a deeper exploration into why women face a higher risk of Alzheimer’s disease and how to protect brain health, check out the Defy Dementia podcast below.

By Dr. Larissa McKetton