Women may be more vulnerable than men to the damaging cognitive effects of common dementia risk factors, according to a large new study conducted by researchers at the University of California San Diego School of Medicine.

The study analyzed health and cognitive data from more than 17,000 middle-aged and older adults and found that several modifiable risk factors linked to dementia appear to affect women’s brain health more strongly than men’s. The findings were published in the journal *Biology of Sex Differences*.

Researchers discovered that conditions associated with cardiovascular and metabolic health — including high blood pressure and increased body mass index — were more strongly connected to cognitive decline in women. Hearing loss and diabetes, although more common among men, were also linked to poorer cognitive performance in women.

The study additionally found that women reported higher rates of depression, physical inactivity, and sleep problems, all of which are considered risk factors for dementia. Women also tended to have slightly lower levels of educational attainment, another factor associated with later cognitive decline.

Lead author Megan Fitzhugh said the results suggest that dementia prevention strategies may need to be designed differently for women and men. According to the researchers, focusing not only on how common a risk factor is, but also on how severely it affects cognition, could improve prevention efforts.

Scientists note that women account for nearly two-thirds of Alzheimer’s disease cases in the United States. While women generally live longer than men, researchers say longevity alone cannot fully explain the difference.

The findings support the growing field of precision medicine, which aims to tailor healthcare approaches to individual characteristics such as sex. Researchers believe targeted interventions focused on depression, physical activity, and cardiovascular health could help reduce dementia risk among women.

The team emphasized that additional studies are needed to better understand why these differences occur. Possible explanations include hormonal factors, genetics, and disparities in