Two-thirds of those diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease are women — but why?

In this episode, we unpack the neurological, hormonal, and social drivers that uniquely affect women’s brain health during the menopausal transition — from estrogen’s protective role in the brain to the misunderstood history of hormone replacement therapy.

We discuss:

• Why women face a higher risk of Alzheimer’s than men
• How menopause accelerates brain aging (and how it starts earlier than is often expected)
• The role of estrogen in brain metabolism and neuroprotection
• The real story behind hormone replacement therapy (HRT)
• The impact of genes like APOE4 on women’s brain health
• How lifestyle factors like stress, sleep, and cognitive activity can help reduce the impact of neurological changes onset by menopause

To help us tell this story, we welcome three world-renowned women’s health experts to the podcast:

DR. LISA MOSCONI: Director of the Women’s Brain Initiative, author of ‘The Menopause Brain’, and pioneering researcher in brain imaging and hormonal neuroscience.

MARIA SHRIVER: Founder of the Women’s Alzheimer’s Movement, journalist, and relentless advocate for gender equity in brain health research.

DR. LISA GENOVA: Neuroscientist and bestselling author of ‘Still Alice’, which was adapted into a film starring Julianne Moore, who won the 2015 Best Actress Oscar for her role as Alice Howland.