Is it genetics or age that causes more women to have Alzheimer's? It's more complicated than that. Studies show that of every three patients with Alzheimer's, two are women even after accounting for longevity. Researchers are now only learning the importance of hormones in brain health and it's part of the reason why there's a push behind studying the ways brain health impacts women's health. To find out more about hormones and the role they play during menopause, Nam Kiwanuka speaks with professor M. Natasha Rajah who leads the Brain Health Equity in Aging and Memory lab at Toronto Metropolitan University.

Research links

‘This is a big deal’: Health Canada approves 1st drug to slow Alzheimer’s disease: https://globalnews.ca/news/11500367/health-canada-approves-alzheimers-treatment

As the U.S. ages, dementia is on the rise. Here are ways to reduce your risk: https://www.npr.org/sections/shots-health-news/2024/11/22/nx-s1-5050956/health-brain-dementia-sleep-diet-alzheimers

Depression in women: Understanding the gender gap: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/depression/in-depth/depression/art-20047725

Doctors looking into hormone therapy as a way to ward off dementia in women: https://www.nbcnews.com/health/womens-health/estrogen-dementia-prevention-hormone-replacement-women-perimenopause-rcna245664

Hysterectomy may be linked to brain function: https://www.endocrine.org/news-and-advocacy/news-room/2018/hysterectomy-may-be-linked-to-brain-function

Men and women have opposite genetic changes in depression: https://www.camh.ca/en/camh-news-and-stories/men-and-women-have-opposite-genetic-changes-in-depression

Hormone replacement therapy will no longer carry a warning label, FDA says: https://www.nbcnews.com/health/womens-health/hormone-replacement-therapy-no-warning-label-fda-rcna243008

Migraine remains second among the world's causes of disability, and first among young women: findings from GBD2019: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33267788/

More than half of women in Canada are caregivers: https://www.statcan.gc.ca/o1/en/plus/2649-more-half-women-canada-are-caregivers

Shingles vaccine may slow progression of dementia, new study suggests: https://www.cnn.com/2025/12/02/health/shingles-vaccine-dementia-progression-study-wellness

Dementia prevention, intervention, and care 2024: https://www.thelancet.com/commissions-do/dementia-prevention-intervention-and-care

The Rise of Anxiety Among Women: https://www.psychologytoday.com/ca/blog/multicultural-mental-health/202502/the-rise-of-anxiety-among-women

Why are so many women suffering from “long Covid” symptoms?: https://www.womenshealthnetwork.com/immune-health/are-you-a-covid-long-hauler/

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