Why might Alzheimer’s progress faster in some women? A new biological clue emerges

By Tahani Elghazaly
Published March 30, 2026

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A new Mayo Clinic study has pointed to a possible reason Alzheimer’s may progress faster in some women than in men. Researchers found that women with Alzheimer’s who also showed abnormal markers of alpha-synuclein, a protein more commonly linked to Parkinson’s disease and Lewy body disorders, experienced faster brain changes tied to tau, one of the key proteins involved in Alzheimer’s progression.

The study analyzed data from 415 participants in the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative, including 220 women, with a median follow-up of 1.23 years. About 17% of participants tested positive for alpha-synuclein in cerebrospinal fluid, and women in that subgroup showed the fastest tau buildup over time, while the same pattern was not seen in men.

The most striking finding was that, in some study comparisons, tau accumulation in these women was more than 20-fold higher than in men who were also positive for the same marker. But that figure needs careful framing. It does not mean Alzheimer’s progresses 20 times faster in all women. It refers to a specific biological subgroup within the Alzheimer’s continuum.

The findings add to a growing effort to understand sex-based differences in dementia, especially as women account for roughly two-thirds of Alzheimer’s cases in the United States, according to Mayo Clinic. Researchers said that recognizing the interaction between tau and alpha-synuclein could help shape more targeted clinical trials and more personalized treatment strategies in the future.

Still, the study does not offer a final explanation or a ready-to-use clinical tool. It is observational and identifies an important biological association, but it does not on its own prove direct causation. For now, the main takeaway is that Alzheimer’s may not follow the same path in every patient, and women’s brain health in midlife and later life may eventually require a more tailored understanding of disease progression.