Nearly two-thirds of Americans with Alzheimer’s are women, according to the Alzheimer’s Association. A research team at UC San Diego is trying to find out why and whether lifestyle changes could help prevent it.
The Women, Inflammation and Tau study is examining how sleep quality, diet, and physical activity might drive up inflammation, an immune response that may damage brain cells and accelerate the buildup of tau, a protein involved in Alzheimer’s disease.
“Along with how maybe sex hormones like estrogen and testosterone might impact that too, we might be able to understand how best to intervene to improve things which will actually have a cognitive benefit to women,” said Sarah Banks, a neuropsychologist who is co-leading the study.
So far, early findings suggest that how women sleep may be an overlooked risk factor.
“Sleep apnea is this under-recognized, highly treatable, component that might be driving some of the sleep, some of the, memory problems in Alzheimer's disease,” Banks said.
About 70% of the women in the study had undiagnosed sleep apnea.
Dr. Erin Sundermann, a cognitive neuroscientist and co-leader of the study, said disrupted sleep can increase levels of tau in the brain, especially in women with a genetic predisposition for Alzheimer’s.
“Tau pathology is a buildup of abnormal tau protein that leads to the memory deficits that we see in Alzheimer's disease. Women tend to have more tau. And we are trying to understand why. And we think inflammation might be a culprit,” Sundermann said.
A family history of dementia led Sharon Lee, 76, to join the study.
“I eat pretty well and I try to exercise. Just not my body, but also my brain, you know, do new things and, you know, keep active,” she said.
Participants commit to multiple clinic visits over two years, undergoing brain imaging, cognitive testing, blood draws, and lumbar punctures. They receive health feedback, a cognitive score, and a copy of their brain scan.
Researchers hope their findings can improve prevention strategies, especially if everyday habits like sleep, diet, or exercise turn out to play a big role. They are seeking 50 more women over age 65 to enroll.
“We hope to get a diverse group of women that reflect the population, so that our results can help to generalize to not just one specific demographic group, but to women in general,” Sundermann said.
It’s a commitment, but one that researchers say could unlock answers for generations to come.
