Women Are at Higher Risk of Alzheimer’s Than Men — Here’s Why

Alzheimer’s disease does not affect men and women in exactly the same way. Women make up a larger share of people living with Alzheimer’s, and for years the simplest explanation was that women tend to live longer, giving the disease more time to develop.

That explanation still matters, but it is not the whole story. Researchers now point to a more complicated mix of longevity, hormones, genetics, immune response, brain changes, and life-course health factors. The science is still developing, but the evidence is strong enough to show that women’s risk deserves specific attention, not a one-size-fits-all explanation.