Released by AARP in May 2020, It’s Time to Act is a seminal call to action to confront the disproportionate impact of Alzheimer’s and related dementias on women. Informed by the July 2019 convening of global experts and enriched by partner insights, the report introduced a 5-step roadmap to eliminate stigma, empower women to protect their brain health, ensure inclusive research, support caregivers, and strengthen medical training. This work directly inspired the formation of a steering committee, which ultimately gave rise to the Coalition for Women’s Brain Health to drive this mission forward.

This study underscores the value of engaging people living with dementia as active contributors in research design and planning. Drawing on insights from the National Research Summit on Care, Services, and Supports, the authors show how inclusive collaboration enhances research relevance, equity, and impact—ensuring that the voices of those most affected guide the direction of dementia care innovation.

This peer-reviewed study offers a rigorous examination of structural and functional sex differences in the human brain and discusses their relevance for neuroscience, psychiatric research, and clinical practice. The authors synthesize evidence showing that male and female brains differ in aspects like connectivity patterns, regional volume, and network dynamics—while also emphasizing that these differences often overlap and do not support simplistic binary models. The paper argues that acknowledging and integrating sex-based brain variation is critical for improving diagnosis, treatment, and understanding of brain disorders across sexes.

Commissioned by WHAM and produced by RAND, this report quantifies the potential societal returns of increasing investment in women’s health research across three disease domains: Alzheimer’s disease & related dementias (AD/ADRD), coronary artery disease (CAD), and rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Using microsimulation models over a 30-year horizon, the authors estimate that doubling women-focused research funding could yield billions in cost savings through fewer years of disease, reduced healthcare spending, and enhanced productivity. Under plausible assumptions, aggregate savings could reach $932 million (AD/ADRD).

The findings show that targeting research to women not only benefits women but yields higher returns than gender-neutral investments in many scenarios. The report concludes with policy recommendations to increase women’s health research funding, deepen knowledge on sex-specific disease mechanisms, and engage funders, industry, and the public in recognizing the value of such investment.

This WHAM and RAND analysis demonstrates the powerful impact of investing in women-focused Alzheimer’s research. Doubling the share of NIH funding dedicated to women could significantly reduce disease burden, cut long-term care costs by more than $360 million, and generate a 224% return on investment. Because women are disproportionately affected—both as patients and caregivers—targeted research not only advances equity but also delivers measurable health and economic gains for society.

This scoping review reveals persistent sex- and gender-based disparities in dementia diagnosis, care quality, and treatment effectiveness. Women often face delayed diagnoses and lower access to guideline-based therapies, underscoring the need for gender-responsive approaches to ensure equitable brain health outcomes.

This groundbreaking study reveals sex-specific molecular and metabolic pathways in Alzheimer’s disease, with findings suggesting that women’s brains may follow distinct inflammatory and resilience trajectories decades before clinical onset. These sex-linked mechanisms present a critical opportunity to tailor early interventions and precision prevention strategies—ultimately advancing women’s brain health in the fight against Alzheimer’s.

This study provides compelling evidence of sex- and gender-specific differences across the Alzheimer’s disease continuum—from diagnosis to treatment and emotional experience. Women were more often diagnosed later and received distinct patterns of care, highlighting structural and psychosocial disparities that shape disease trajectories. These findings underscore the need for sex-informed, precision approaches to improve early detection and optimize care pathways in Alzheimer’s disease.

In 2025, nearly one in four U.S. adults—63 million people—are family caregivers. This landmark report from the National Alliance for Caregiving and AARP reveals the growing scope and intensity of caregiving, from longer hours and complex medical tasks to financial and workplace strain. It also highlights the resilience and purpose many caregivers find, while pointing to policy and program solutions that can better support them.

The Society for Women’s Health Research (SWHR) produced From Awareness to Action: A Guide to Women’s Health Advocacy, a practical resource for anyone looking to drive change in women’s health—at the local, state, or federal level. The toolkit offers tips on engaging with policymakers, building campaigns, and raising awareness on critical health issues.

At CWBH, we know advocacy is essential to close research gaps and to improve women’s brain health in our communities. We’re proud to share this guide on our resource page as a tool to help our community strengthen its voice for women everywhere.

See the toolkit here: SWHR_Advocacy-Toolkit-Final-2025

The National Institute on Aging, in conjunction with the Department of Health and Human Services as part of the National Alzheimer’s Project Act, convened a 2020 National Research Summit on Care, Services, and Supports for Persons with Dementia and their Caregivers. This review article addresses research participation by persons living with dementia (PLWD) and their care partners in two different ways: as research participants with input on outcomes studied and as engaged research partners.

The 2025 WHAM Investment Report presents a compelling business case for accelerating investment in women’s health. Produced by Women’s Health Access Matters (WHAM), the report highlights the vast economic and social potential of addressing conditions that exclusively, disproportionately, or differently affect women. Despite representing over half the population and driving 80% of healthcare spending decisions, women’s health remains dramatically underfunded, with only 2% of venture health investments allocated to it. The report outlines key areas of unmet need—such as cardiovascular disease, autoimmune conditions, brain health, and menopause—and showcases success stories from startups and investors capitalizing on this high-growth sector. It calls for data-driven, sex-specific innovation and diverse leadership to unlock transformative returns, improve healthcare outcomes, and close the gender gap in medical research and treatment.

Female individuals with high baseline Aβ had substantially faster tau accumulation relative to male individuals with high baseline Aβ; affected brain areas included inferior temporal and temporal fusiform gyri, as well as the lateral occipital cortex.

This comprehensive characterization provides compelling evidence of sex differences in neuroinflammation emerging during midlife. Notably, the midlife female brain exhibits a profile reminiscent of the inflammatory signature observed in the AD brain. The study presents an opportunity to identify distinct profiles emerging decades before AD diagnosis, and to inform precision medicine interventions that can be implemented to prevent or delay a key driver of AD pathology.

This review describes an overview of sex and gender differences in risk of AD/ADRD and brain structure and function.

This report explores the practical realities physicians face in the absence of sex-specific clinical data and guidelines, documenting their challenges, needs, and perspectives. By analyzing the direct impact on care delivery, identifying where= gaps in knowledge lead to suboptimal outcomes, and highlighting successful integration models, this report proposes actionable pathways to support physicians in providing optimal care for women across medical specialties.

Women are more likely to experience reduced cognitive health later in life. Recent federal efforts seek to address the paucity of research on this phenomenon.