Alzheimer’s Research UK (ARUK) has called for the forthcoming national dementia strategy to include action on the disproportionate impact of dementia on women.
A new analysis shows that dementia has been the leading cause of death in women since 2011 with nearly twice as many women as men dying from dementia in 2020, when 46,000 women died compared with 24,000 men.
ARUK’s analysis, launched at the start of Dementia Action Week, says the government’s impending dementia strategy and its Women’s Health Strategy could have a vital role in addressing the challenges.
According to the analysis, The Impact of Dementia on Women, longer life expectancy on its own does not account for the greater incidence of dementia in women. It says that women receive worse health care than men and are less likely to be included in clinical trials.
“As a woman it’s worrying to know that female dementia researchers are less likely to progress into senior roles,” said UCL researcher Dr Amber John. “We must take action to break the bias.”