Sonia Elizabeth Cox lost her battle against Alzheimer’s late 2024. Her fight brings to light the growing threat of dementia, particularly for women. In fact, according to the World Health Organization, in developed countries, two out of every three people with an Alzheimer’s diagnosis are women. In Canada, women make up almost two-thirds of the people living with dementia. Statistics Canada announces this alarming trend. Experts are urging for a better understanding of the stark gender gap in Alzheimer’s risk. This information is critical for deciphering the mysteries of this insidious condition.
Looking through these lenses Recent studies have shown some particularly shocking links between reproductive health and risk of developing Alzheimer’s. In fact, early menopause increases the chances of developing Alzheimer’s by 30%. This is doubly true for women who go through it before the age of 40. Dr. Walter Rocca emphasized the need to identify both premature menopause and early menopause as key risk factors. These events mostly take place in the 40 to 44 age group. Cognitive decline will occur no matter how menopause is achieved, Gillian Einstein said. Regardless of whether it’s natural or caused by interventions such as hysterectomies, the annual drop is still troubling.
The Disproportionate Impact on Women
Alzheimer’s disease is the ninth most common cause of death in Canada. This shocking statistic points to the critical need to explore its gendered implications in greater depth. Women are at far greater risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease in industrialized countries. They face an illness that progresses more acutely than in men. Natasha Rajah illustrates how historical study in Western nations has frequently excluded people of color. In doing so, it does an inadequate job of tackling the unique health challenges that women experience.
“Not only have we not been included in the research, but even in the clinical trials, we’re not represented.” – Natasha Rajah
Angeleta Cox, Sonia’s mother, expressed the broader implications of this issue, stating, “When it impacts women, it impacts the entire family and the community.” This sorrow rings true for millions of families who are currently experiencing the ravaging impacts of Alzheimer’s.
It’s only recently that researchers have understood the need for more targeted research on sex differences in Alzheimer’s risk. Natasha Rajah noted how apparent it has become to see a significant uptick of sessions focused on women’s health at scientific conferences.
“There’s so many more sessions on sex differences, or women’s health.” – Natasha Rajah
The emphasis on women’s health reflects a growing awareness of the need to explore how various factors, including hormonal changes, can influence cognitive decline.
The Role of Reproductive Health
Looking into the potential role of reproductive history on Alzheimer’s risk, recent findings from the U.K. Yet research suggests that women who have between one to three children could have a protective effect against the development of the disease. New evidence from over 34,000 women in the UK Biobank supports this hypothesis. It indicates that having a longer period of reproduction is associated with the reduced risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease in older age.
Gillian Einstein elaborated on these findings, stating, “There are a lot of studies in the UK Biobank, for example, showing that the longer the reproductive period women have, the lower the risk is of late-life Alzheimer’s disease. Having one to three children seems to lower the risk of Alzheimer’s.”
Additionally, Sonia Elizabeth Cox’s experience with fibroids led her to undergo a full hysterectomy in her 30s, which may have contributed to her Alzheimer’s diagnosis later in life. As a Black woman with endometriosis, Natasha Rajah deeply reflected on her own reproductive health decisions when presented with the same circumstances.
“When it came time for me to deal with my fibroids that I had, I chose not to have a full hysterectomy.” – Natasha Rajah
This decision is a clear reminder of how seemingly benign medical choices can have lasting effects on women’s health and cognitive landscape.
Advancing Research and Understanding
The scientific community is working diligently to catch up with the complexities surrounding sex and gender-related risks for Alzheimer’s disease. Dr. Walter Rocca contributed research to the AAIC conference that zeroed in on menopause and its connection to increased risk of Alzheimer’s disease. He pointed out that women who have an oophorectomy (removal of ovaries) before age 50 are at significantly higher risk.
“Women who had their ovaries removed prior to the age of 50 will also have an increased risk of Alzheimer’s.” – Gillian Einstein
As experts such as Natasha Rajah stress, it’s critical to understand menopause. That’s why they think now may be a key time to catch and identify early signs of Alzheimer’s.
“We’re trying to understand whether or not menopause is a window at which some females might be showing early signs of Alzheimer’s disease.” – Natasha Rajah
Our researchers are exploring some of these concerns in greater detail. They are optimistic that they are on the verge of obtaining a major breakthrough in Alzheimer’s research, leading to better prevention efforts and treatments tailored in particular to women.
“I think we’re beginning to be at an inflection point.” – Gillian Einstein
