My Brain and Me: Why do more women get Alzheimer's disease? Prof. Eitan Okun | Bar-Da'at Podcasts
Why is Alzheimer’s more common in women? Genetic factors, estrogen decline, APOE4, and sex-specific risk drivers.
The episode explains that Alzheimer’s disease is nearly twice as prevalent in women due to a combination of factors: genetic mechanisms (such as BDNF and APOE4 acting differently in women), hormonal changes (notably the drop in estrogen during menopause reducing brain protection), and additional factors such as pregnancy with a Down syndrome fetus increasing risk. Understanding these differences supports earlier diagnosis and more targeted, sex-specific approaches in a multifactorial disease.
The episode explains that Alzheimer’s disease is nearly twice as prevalent in women due to a combination of factors: genetic mechanisms (such as BDNF and APOE4 acting differently in women), hormonal changes (notably the drop in estrogen during menopause reducing brain protection), and additional factors such as pregnancy with a Down syndrome fetus increasing risk. Understanding these differences supports earlier diagnosis and more targeted, sex-specific approaches in a multifactorial disease.
Last Updated Date : 21/06/2026
