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Dr Rangan ChatterjeeDr Rangan Chatterjee

Neuroscientist: Most Women Are Raising Their Dementia Risk (Without Knowing It)

This episode is brought to you by: THE WAY APP: Get 30 FREE sessions and begin your journey towards peace, calm and wellbeing. https://thewayapp.com/livemore AG1: Get FREE AG1 Flavour Sampler, AGZ Sampler, Vitamin D3+K2 and Welcome Kit with your first AG1 subscription (worth $87, US only) https://bit.ly/43FwxQl Find Part 1 of the conversation here: https://youtu.be/Cprl8wrBQaY This podcast contains some of the simplest, most effective advice on brain health you will ever hear. It explains why the cognitive decline we expect with age isn’t inevitable at all. And why up to 70 percent of cases of dementia are, in fact, preventable. I’m speaking with neuroscientist Dr Tommy Wood, one of the most respected voices on brain health today. He works with Formula One drivers and elite athletes to deliver peak cognitive and physical performance. He’s a researcher whose work spans brain development, traumatic brain injury and dementia – all of which is compellingly distilled into his new book, The Stimulated Mind. Tommy is a plain speaker and motivating communicator and in this episode he explains why it’s the way you use your brain that matters more than almost anything else you can do for your long-term health. In this video we discuss the hugely important, often overlooked topic of women’s brain health. What does the science really say about cognitive decline in menopause? The outlook is more hopeful than you might have thought. Our conversation is packed with practical advice and evidence-backed insights that I want everyone to hear. Cognitive decline isn’t inevitable. Dementia isn’t your destiny. Whatever your age and whatever your worry, there are so many easy steps you can take, starting today, that are guaranteed to make a difference. #feelbetterlivemore Connect with Dr Wood: Website https://www.drtommywood.com/ Instagram https://www.instagram.com/drtommywood/ Publications https://www.drtommywood.com/publications X https://twitter.com/DrRagnar Podcasts: Better Brain Fitness https://www.drtommywood.com/podcast Dr Wood’s book: The Stimulated Mind Future-Proof Your Brain from Dementia and Stay Sharp at Any Age UK https://amzn.to/3Nlzlzy US https://amzn.to/3P4hTjB #feelbetterlivemore #feelbetterlivemorepodcast ------- Order MAKE CHANGE THAT LASTS. US & Canada version https://amzn.to/3RyO3SL, UK version https://amzn.to/3Kt5rUK ----- Follow Dr Chatterjee at: Website: https://drchatterjee.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/drchatterjee Twitter: https://twitter.com/drchatterjeeuk Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drchatterjee/ Newsletter: https://drchatterjee.com/subscription DISCLAIMER: The content in the podcast and on this webpage is not intended to constitute or be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have heard on the podcast or on my website.

Dr. Rangan Chatterjeehost
Mar 26, 202650mWatch on YouTube ↗

At a glance

WHAT IT’S REALLY ABOUT

Women’s dementia risk, menopause nuances, and brain-boosting movement strategies explained

  1. Age-specific dementia incidence has declined over the past decades, even while total cases rise because more people live to older ages.
  2. Women’s historical lower access to education and cognitively complex work may have contributed to higher Alzheimer’s burden, and greater equity may reduce future risk.
  3. Menopause is a debated, nuanced period where symptoms (especially vasomotor symptoms and sleep disruption) predict cognitive changes better than hormone levels alone.
  4. Different exercise modes support the brain through different mechanisms: aerobic training benefits gray matter and memory, resistance training supports white matter and executive function, and coordinative/social sports add extra cognitive gains.
  5. Brain health improvements are practical and attainable: consistent daily movement plus small doses of intensity, strength work, and skill-based social activity can compound over time.

IDEAS WORTH REMEMBERING

5 ideas

Dementia rates can improve even if total cases increase.

Wood explains the apparent paradox: individual risk at a given age (age-specific incidence) is lower than decades ago, but more people reach ages where dementia becomes more common, raising total case counts.

Cardiovascular prevention is dementia prevention.

Risk factors like blood pressure, blood sugar, smoking, and lipids overlap strongly with dementia risk; better heart-disease prevention has likely helped lower age-specific dementia incidence, particularly in men.

Women’s cognitive stimulation opportunities may be a hidden driver of dementia risk.

He cites evidence that enriched, complex environments (education, demanding work, cognitively rich hobbies) correlate with lower dementia risk, and historically “low environmental complexity” cohorts were disproportionately women in traditional roles.

Education is a major population-level lever for dementia reduction.

Referencing the Lancet Commission, he notes education contributes the largest single share in their model (about 7%), aligning with the idea that early-life cognitive enrichment raises later-life resilience.

Menopause doesn’t automatically cause dementia, but it can amplify other risks.

Because all women experience menopause but only ~20% develop dementia, hormonal decline alone can’t be the full explanation; the menopausal transition may magnify the impact of metabolic and other risk factors on cognition.

WORDS WORTH SAVING

5 quotes

You are less likely to be diagnosed with dementia at the age of 70 today than you ever have been.

— Dr. Tommy Wood

If you live long enough as a woman, all women will experience the menopause… But only about 20% will experience dementia.

— Dr. Tommy Wood

Vasomotor symptoms are better predictors of cognitive changes than hormonal shifts are.

— Dr. Tommy Wood

All activity is great for the brain… but if you have a complex movement component on top… there’s additional benefits for the brain.

— Dr. Tommy Wood

Know that we each have huge power over our long-term risk of dementia and our cognitive trajectory.

— Dr. Tommy Wood

Age-specific incidence vs overall dementia prevalenceCardiovascular and metabolic risk factorsEducation, job complexity, and cognitive reserve in womenMenopause, vasomotor symptoms, and cognitionMenopausal hormone therapy (MHT): benefits vs evidence limitsExercise “three flavors”: aerobic, resistance, coordinative/open-skill3S model (stimulation, supply, support) and “movement funnel”

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