Why Women Are Twice as Likely to Get Alzheimer's and What To Do About It | Sandy Gleysteen

Sandy Gleysteen, award-winning journalist turned Alzheimer’s advocate and Chief Communications Officer at the Women’s Alzheimer’s Movement (WAM), joins us to unpack why women bear a disproportionate share of Alzheimer’s risk and what can actually be done about it. The conversation covers the critical role of estrogen as a neuroprotector, the window of opportunity around perimenopause and HRT, and the surprising finding that up to 50% of Alzheimer’s cases may be preventable through lifestyle.

WHAT WE EXPLORE

* Why two-thirds of Alzheimer’s cases are women, and the estrogen connection

* Perimenopause as a critical window for brain protection and HRT timing

* Up to 50% of Alzheimer’s cases may be preventable with lifestyle changes

* Exercise and nutrition as first-line defenses against cognitive decline

* How poor sleep allows amyloid plaques to build up in the brain

* Why loneliness is as damaging to brain health as smoking two packs a day

* The APOE4 gene test: should you get tested, and what to do with results

* Creatine for women: brain and body benefits that outpace the research on men

* Statins, cholesterol, and a critical open question no one is answering yet

* Practical caregiving strategies when someone you love has dementia

ABOUT DR SANDY GLEYSTEEN:

Sandy Gleysteen spent decades as an Emmy Award-winning television producer at NBC and CBS, partnering with Maria Shriver on some of the most significant women’s journalism of a generation. After witnessing multiple family members navigate memory loss, she earned a Master’s in Gerontology from USC at age 67 and pivoted her career entirely to brain health advocacy. She now serves as Chief Communications Officer at the Women’s Alzheimer’s Movement, co-founded by Maria Shriver, and plays a central role in expanding WAM’s research grant program and the Women’s Alzheimer’s Prevention Center at Cleveland Clinic.

CONNECT WITH DR SANDY GLEYSTEEN

* Instagram (WAM): https://www.instagram.com/womensalzmovement/

* Website: https://thewomensalzheimersmovement.org/

Timestamps

* 00:00 Welcome: What Is the Women’s Alzheimer’s Movement?

* 01:45 Dementia vs. Alzheimer’s: What Every Woman Needs to Know

* 03:00 Estrogen as a Neuroprotector: Why Menopause Puts Women at Risk

* 05:00 HRT and Brain Health: The Window You Cannot Miss

* 08:15 Sandy’s Journey from NBC to WAM: Journalism Meets Brain Science

* 15:55 40-50% of Alzheimer’s Is Preventable: Exercise, Nutrition, and Stress

* 24:35 Sleep and the Glymphatic System: Your Brain’s Overnight Clean-Up Crew

* 28:45 Alcohol Is a Neurotoxin: What the Research Actually Says

* 35:10 Creatine for Women: Brain Benefits Backed by Science

* 37:15 The APOE4 Gene Test: Should You Get Tested?

* 39:20 WAM Prevention Center at Cleveland Clinic: Who It Is For

* 47:45 Practical Caregiving Advice: How to Support Someone with Alzheimer’s

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