In this plenary I will discuss our Lancet paper showing a doubling of AD cases globally over 25 years, with more women affected at all ages3. I will outline that, despite NIH mandates, there is still systemic under-representation of women in AD research with our recent paper showing less than the mandated 50% in AD trials4 despite the fact that 2/3 of those living with dementia are women. The most recent Australian Government commissioned report shows there are no sex-specific guidelines despite existing knowledge for significant differences in presentation, symptoms, diagnosis, pathophysiology and treatment are vastly different between men and women.
A decade ago Lancet published that 50% of AD cases are preventable5. But even the most recent Lancet commission6 maintains 40% of cases preventable and notes modifying vascular risk factors is the most available and promising option6, yet AD is on the rise3. The commission still omits sex differences, despite their known importance. There has been an exponential rise in knowledge on sexspecific issues in dementia pathophysiology, risk factors, presenting symptoms, diagnosis, treatment and management50,51 with the body of evidence on AD is so great that there is now an Elservier textbook about sex-differences in AD52 .
I will outline changes to community knowledge and the focus on womens health in chronic diseases of ageing with leading cause of death and disability in Australian Women for the last several decades being dementia. How do we approach enquires of cognitive symptoms : what does the research tell us about memory complaints and what is needed to improve womens healthy ageing for the future