Overview
- Researchers at the University of California San Diego analyzed health and cognitive data from more than 17,000 U.S. midlife and older adults and published the peer‑reviewed study on May 19, 2026.
- Women in the study were more likely than men to report depression, physical inactivity, sleep problems, and slightly lower education, while men had higher rates of hearing loss, diabetes, and heavy alcohol use.
- Several risk factors showed stronger links to poorer cognitive scores in women, with cardiometabolic conditions such as hypertension and higher body mass index plus hearing loss and diabetes producing steeper negative associations for women than men.
- The authors say these patterns support a precision‑prevention approach that prioritizes treating the risks that most harm cognition in each sex, for example focusing more on depression care, activity and cardiovascular health for women.
- The analysis is observational and reports associations not proof of cause, and the team calls for research into biological and social mechanisms such as hormones, genetics, and health‑care access and for trials to test sex‑tailored interventions; the work was funded by the National Institute on Aging and the Alzheimer's Association and the authors reported no conflicts of interest.