Women's Brain Health Initiative

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Women's Brain Health Initiative

Raising funds for research and education to combat women's brain aging diseases. Because our grey matter, matters.

Women’s Brain Health Initiative (WBHI) helps protect women’s brain health by focusing its resources on research to combat brain-aging disorders that disproportionately affect women, and by creating compelling preventative health education programs, grounded in science, so there is a greater understanding by the public of the best ways to prolong their cognitive vitality. Our Six Pillars of Brain Health are the most important lifestyle choices that protect your brain health as you age.

08/27/2026

Caregiving can take an enormous toll, especially when caregivers believe they have to carry it all on their own.

At our recent Women’s Brain Health Summit, Emma Heming Willis shared a powerful lesson from her caregiving journey with her husband, Bruce Willis: asking for help is not a failure. It is part of sustaining yourself for the journey ahead.

Raised by a fiercely independent single mother, Emma learned early to keep going and handle things herself. But as a care partner, she came to understand that protecting her own health had to be part of caring for Bruce.

Her message is one every caregiver deserves to hear: You are allowed to raise your hand. You are allowed to ask for help. And caring for yourself matters, too.
�You're not alone. Check the link in the comments for free caregiving tools, guides, and support.

08/25/2026

Every day, more than 414 people in Canada are diagnosed with dementia, more than 17 every hour. About 10 of those are women every hour.

Researchers followed more than 12,000 people for over two decades and found that adults who kept normal blood pressure, stayed diabetes-free, and didn’t smoke in their 40s, 50s, and 60s gained close to 13 extra years of life without dementia, compared to those with all three risk factors.

The more risk factors present in midlife, the fewer dementia-free years people could expect. The takeaway from the study: much of dementia risk is preventable, and midlife is not too late to make a difference.

Sources: Neurology, Alzheimer Society of Canada (dementia prevalence and daily/hourly diagnosis rate, as of Jan. 2025) and Landmark Study Report #2 (female share of dementia cases, 2020 data, projected to hold through 2050). The hourly breakdown by s*x is our own calculation applying the female share to the overall diagnosis rate, not a figure published directly by the Society.

08/20/2026

For too long, medicine assumed that what we learned from men could simply be applied to women. We now know that isn’t always the case.

The same condition can develop differently, present differently and even be detected differently in women. Heart attack symptoms may be less readily recognized. Women tend to experience strokes at older ages and can face poorer outcomes. And in Alzheimer’s disease, women’s stronger performance on some verbal memory tests may mask early cognitive changes, potentially delaying diagnosis.

These differences aren’t minor. Recognizing them can change when a woman is diagnosed, how she is treated and ultimately, her health outcomes.

Research is beginning to give us a clearer picture, but significant gaps remain. Women need to be adequately represented in research, and s*x and gender differences need to be analyzed rather than averaged away.

Because women are not small men. Better research on women leads to better healthcare for women.

07/28/2026

Women's health has been overlooked for far too long.

Despite making up half the population, women have historically been underrepresented in medical research, leaving critical gaps in our understanding of how diseases develop, present, and respond to treatment.

The consequences for brain health are profound.
Nearly 70% of people living with Alzheimer's disease are women, yet only a small proportion of neuroscience and psychiatry research specifically examines s*x and gender differences. We cannot solve a problem we have not adequately studied.

While awareness of the women's health gap is growing, awareness alone is not enough. Recognition must be matched by meaningful investment in research that reflects women's unique biology, including the effects of menopause, hormones, pregnancy, and other life stages on brain health.

Every year we delay, millions more women and their families bear the consequences.

Closing the women's health gap is not simply about equity. It is essential to improve prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and ultimately, to protect the brain health of future generations.

Because you can't treat what you don't study.

Check the link in the comments to read the full article.

07/18/2026

😴 Feeling sleepier than usual during the day? It may be worth paying attention.

A growing body of research suggests that a persistent increase in daytime sleepiness, especially in older adults, may be more than a normal part of aging.

In a five-year study published in Neurology, researchers followed 733 women in their 80s using wearable sleep monitors. Women whose daytime sleepiness increased over time were about twice as likely to develop dementia as those whose sleep patterns remained stable.

The important takeaway? This study found an association, not proof that daytime sleepiness causes dementia. Researchers believe that increasing sleepiness may reflect changes already occurring in the brain, years before memory symptoms become noticeable.

Occasional fatigue or an afternoon nap is normal. But if you or someone you love has become noticeably sleepier during the day, it’s worth discussing with a healthcare provider. Many treatable conditions, including sleep apnea, medication side effects, and depression, can also contribute to excessive daytime sleepiness.

Protecting your brain starts with paying attention to the signals your body is sending.

Source: Li J, et al. Neurology. 2025. “Trajectory of sleep-wake activity and incident dementia in older women.”

07/16/2026

🧠 MYTH: Growing older means you’ll get dementia.

FACT: Dementia is not an inevitable part of aging. While age is the biggest risk factor, research shows that up to 45% of dementia cases may be delayed or even prevented by addressing modifiable lifestyle factors.

The earlier you start protecting your brain, the better. Healthy habits like eating well, staying physically, mentally, and socially active, managing stress, and getting enough sleep all help support lifelong brain health.

Growing older is a privilege. Staying brain healthy is something you can influence every day.

Share this Brain Buzz to help replace fear with facts and empower more people to take action for their brain health. 💜

07/10/2026

What if some of your favourite everyday habits are also protecting your brain? 💜

While there is no single "magic bullet" for preventing dementia, research shows that healthy lifestyle habits can help support brain health and may reduce the risk of cognitive decline. In fact, up to 45% of dementia cases may be preventable or delayed by addressing modifiable risk factors throughout life.

The good news? Many of the habits that benefit your brain are also some of life's simplest pleasures.
💜 Move your body.�
💜 Prioritize restorative sleep.�
💜 Nourish your brain with healthy foods.�
💜 Challenge your mind.�
💜 Stay socially connected.�
💜 Manage stress in healthy ways.

Small, consistent choices add up over time. You don't have to do everything perfectly. Every positive habit is an investment in your future brain health.

We broke down all six habits in our latest blog post, with the studies to back them up, plus a free tool to help you build these habits one day at a time. Check the comments for links to both.

07/01/2026

🇨🇦 This Canada Day, we’re celebrating Canadian research that’s changing the future of women’s brain health.

For decades, brain research largely treated women as smaller versions of men. Women were included less often in research, and when they were, the biological differences that shape brain health were frequently overlooked.
We now know better.

Women account for nearly 70% of Canadians with Alzheimer’s, yet only by studying women’s brains as women’s brains can we begin to understand why—and, more importantly, how to reduce that risk. Across Canada, researchers are challenging outdated assumptions. They recognize that s*x, hormones, pregnancy, menopause, genetics, and lived experiences all influence how women’s brains age.

These discoveries are reshaping our understanding of Alzheimer’s disease and opening the door to more personalized approaches to prevention, diagnosis, and care.
At Women’s Brain Health Initiative, we’re proud to fund, champion, and amplify research that puts women at the centre. Because women’s brains deserve to be studied as women’s brains.

🇨🇦 Happy Canada Day from all of us at Women’s Brain Health Initiative.
Tag a Canadian woman who believes better research leads to better health. 💜

06/30/2026

What if we could stop brain cells from dying before diseases like Parkinson’s or Alzheimer’s take hold?

Researchers in Australia have identified a compound that can switch off a key protein that triggers cell death, keeping neurons alive in laboratory studies. While still years away from becoming a treatment, the discovery offers an exciting new avenue in the search for therapies that could slow or even prevent neurodegenerative disease progression.

The finding is a powerful reminder that understanding how and why brain cells die may be just as important as understanding how to replace them.

Hope doesn’t come from a single breakthrough. It comes from the thousands of scientists around the world working to solve one piece of the puzzle at a time. 🧠

Check comments to link to the full article.

06/27/2026

We cracked the code on how an egg could help protect your memories.

A 2024 study published in The Journal of Nutrition found that consuming more than one egg per week was associated with a 47% reduction in the risk of developing Alzheimer's dementia among older adults.

The study, part of the Rush Memory and Aging Project, involved 1,024 participants with an average age of 81.4 years, followed over an average of 6.7 years. Researchers attributed 39% of this protective effect to dietary choline, a nutrient abundant in eggs, particularly in the yolk.

Choline is essential for brain health, as it supports the production of acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter involved in memory and learning. Despite its importance, about 90% of people do not meet the recommended daily intake of 550 mg. One large egg contains approximately 150 mg of choline, making eggs a significant source of this nutrient.

While the study highlights a strong association between egg consumption and reduced Alzheimer's risk, it does not establish a direct cause-and-effect relationship. Further research is needed to confirm these findings across diverse populations.

Nonetheless, incorporating eggs into a balanced diet may be a practical approach to support cognitive health, especially in older adults.

Want brain-healthy egg recipes? Check the link in the comments.

Address

30 St. Clair Avenue W, Suite 900
Toronto, ON
M4V3A1

Website

http://wbhi.org/, http://twitter.com/womensbrains

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