UC San Diego Study: Women's Dementia Risk

Researchers from the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, including Megan Fitzhugh>>> and Judy Pace>>>, published a study on May 19, 2026, in Biology of Sex Differences>>>. The study, funded by the United States — National Institutes of Health>>> and the Alzheimer s Association>>>, analyzed data from over 17,000 adults from the Health and Retirement Study in the United States>>>. It revealed that women not only have a higher prevalence of certain modifiable dementia risk factors but are also more vulnerable to their cognitive effects. Key findings include higher rates of depression, physical inactivity, and sleep problems in women, and a stronger negative association between cardiovascular/metabolic conditions (like hypertension and increased BMI) and cognition in women. The research emphasizes the importance of considering sex as a key variable in dementia research and advocates for precision medicine approaches to prevention and treatment, particularly for Alzheimer s disease.