Dementia Takes a Greater Toll on Women: WHAMglobal Examines New Research and Ways Forward
Type: News
Focus Area: Women’s Health
WHAMglobal Board members connect from around the world to discuss dementia.
Brain health took center stage at the Women’s Health Activist Movement Global’s (WHAMglobal) August 6 Board meeting, where leading experts from around the world explored a rapidly changing landscape of dementia prevention, detection, care, and policy – and what those advances mean for women.
Women are disproportionately affected by dementia, both as people living with the disease and as caregivers. The Alzheimer’s Association reports that almost two-thirds of Americans living with Alzheimer’s are women, while more than 60% of Alzheimer’s and dementia caregivers are women. The disparity extends globally: women provide about 70% of care hours for people living with dementia, according to the World Health Organization.
Women are disproportionately affected by dementia, both as people living with the disease and as caregivers. The Alzheimer’s Association reports that almost two-thirds of Americans living with Alzheimer’s are women, while more than 60% of Alzheimer’s and dementia caregivers are women. The disparity extends globally: women provide about 70% of care hours for people living with dementia, according to the World Health Organization.
Internationally recognized dementia researcher Gill Livingston, MBChB, professor of psychiatry of older people at University College London, shared evidence that dementia is not an inevitable consequence of aging. Livingston, who leads the Lancet Standing Commission on Dementia Prevention, Intervention and Care, reported that nearly half of dementia cases worldwide could potentially be prevented or delayed by addressing 14 modifiable risk factors. She emphasized personalized interventions, health coaching, and policy changes can help people gain healthier, dementia-free years.
Rebecca Edelmayer, PhD, vice president of scientific engagement, Alzheimer’s Association, highlighted a rapidly changing Alzheimer’s research landscape, including promising blood-based tests that could yield earlier detection into primary care and growing evidence that structured lifestyle interventions can help protect cognitive health. She added that the Alzheimer’s Association is launching a $100 million study examining the combination of pharmacological treatment and multidomain lifestyle intervention.
The meeting then moved from science to dementia care in practice. Mercè Boada Rovira, MD, PhD, co-founder and medical director of Ace Alzheimer Center Barcelona, shared a model that complements clinical treatment with programs incorporating music, dance, virtual reality, social connection, and family engagement to preserve dignity, reduce isolation, and improve quality of life for people living with dementia and their families.
Joanna Paladino, MD, an assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and palliative care physician and physician-investigator at Massachusetts General Hospital, where she serves as research and patient engagement lead for the Dementia Care Collaborative, highlighted the Collaborative’s comprehensive approach to caregiver support, clinical education, research, and community engagement. Its programs range from one-on-one caregiver consultations and support groups to practical skills training and clinician education, helping families navigate dementia while equipping healthcare teams to provide more coordinated, compassionate care.
A policy panel featuring Ian Kremer, JD, of the LEAD Coalition; Jennifer Pollack, JD, of the Alzheimer’s Association and Alzheimer’s Impact Movement; and Elma Johnson, MPH, of the National BOLD Public Health Center of Excellence on Dementia Caregiving, emphasized that scientific advances must be matched by policies that expand early detection, prepare clinicians, and better support caregivers. Panelists highlighted federal efforts to expand Medicare access to emerging Alzheimer’s screening tests and strengthen dementia training for primary care providers, particularly in underserved communities.
For WHAMglobal, the conversation was not simply about understanding what works but putting knowledge to work. Board members explored new partnerships in women’s brain health and opportunities to adapt successful international and U.S. models for Pittsburgh and communities across the country.
