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A new Women’s Brain Foundation study reveals substantial sex and gender differences across key stages of the Alzheimer’s disease (AD) patient journey, from diagnosis to treatment and emotional response.
Based on a research survey conducted in the United States and Germany, the study offers valuable insights for advancing precision medicine and equitable care in Alzheimer’s disease.
Using a structured survey of 142 participants, including patients and caregivers, the study uncovered that women were more likely to receive a diagnosis only after referral to a specialist.
The study also revealed that time to diagnosis was significantly shorter when patients were directly assessed by a specialist.
Treatment patterns also diverged. Women were, more frequently than men, treated with non-pharmacological therapies such as reminiscence therapy and / or life story work, approaches shown to improve emotional well-being. Emotional responses to diagnosis also differed: women reported higher anxiety at the beginning of the process, while men expressed more emotional distress after receiving a formal diagnosis.
“This study reinforces the urgent need to integrate sex and gender considerations into every stage of Alzheimer’s care, from public awareness to diagnosis and therapy,” said Dr. Antonella Santuccione Chadha, senior author and CEO of the Women’s Brain Foundation. “Too often, women are misdiagnosed or diagnosed too late, simply because our healthcare systems still operate on outdated, male-centered models. It’s time we redesign healthcare systems with women in mind.”
The study is among the first to comprehensively analyse sex and gender differences across the AD patient journey using real-world data from both patients and caregivers. It was designed also with the contribution of the leading patients’ organization Alzheimer’s Disease International (ADI).
“We’re proud to have partnered on this important research with the Women’s Brain Foundation,” said Charles River Associates Vice President Angela De Martini. “This study not only advances our understanding of Alzheimer’s and its debilitating progression, it further illuminates the need for more nuanced patient care that accounts for gender.”
This research reflects WBF’s ongoing commitment to pioneering sex and gender-sensitive approaches in brain and mental health.
Done in collaboration with Charles River Associates, it was published on Alzheimer’s & Dementia: Behaviour & Socio-economics of Aging (A&D: BSEA), a journal of the Alzheimer’s Association.
