A new report from Cleveland Clinic shows most women don’t know they are at higher risk for developing Alzheimer’s disease.
And while they are taking some steps to help with prevention, such as playing brain games and maintaining social connections, there is more they can do.
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“Some of the strongest science of preventing dementia comes from a few risk factors that can be controlled. These are your cardiovascular risk factors, so knowing your numbers, your cholesterol, your blood pressure, your blood sugar, because what’s good for the heart is good for the brain,” said Pelin Batur, MD, medical director of the Cleveland Clinic Women’s Comprehensive Health and Research Center.
Dr. Batur said diet, exercise, sleep and your mental health play a role too.
“One that might be a surprise to folks is preventing depression because depression is very closely tied to dementia risk,” she explained.
The report shows there is also a gap in knowledge with menopause.
More than two in five women do not know that menopause can affect multiple body systems, including the heart, brain and bone health.
“It’s changing our cardiovascular risks; our cholesterols are changing. We have a harder time metabolizing our sugars, which we call insulin resistance. Putting us at increased risk for diabetes or pre-diabetes,” said Dr. Batur.
Another notable finding was nearly one-third of women haven’t seen their primary care provider in the past two years, believing they are healthy and simply not feeling the need to go.
“This actually pains me to see this statistic because if they don’t come in for their preventative care needs, they are really missing an opportunity to catch diseases at an early or silent state,” she said.
Dr. Batur said the report makes it clear that more needs to be done to help raise awareness about women’s health – especially as women age.
“I want women at midlife and beyond to really prioritize themselves, which oftentimes they’re not. The reason it’s so important at this phase of life is because how you assess your risk factors really determines whether you’re going to transition in later life into a state of disease or a state of wellness. So really a critical window,” she concluded.