Women with Down Syndrome May Develop Alzheimer's Disease More Rapidly than Men

Irvine, Calif., Aug. 12, 2025 — Women with Down syndrome have more advanced signs of Alzheimer’s disease than men do at the average age of diagnosis, which is the same for both sexes, according to research by the University of California, Irvine. The findings, published in Alzheimer’s & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer’s Association, can shape how we understand and approach treatments for Alzheimer’s in this population and beyond. The National Institutes of Health supported the study.

“If women with Down syndrome are further along in disease progression at the time of diagnosis, it could change how we time interventions and interpret outcomes in clinical trials,” said corresponding author Elizabeth Head, UC Irvine professor of pathology. “This research could help tailor therapies more effectively, not just for people with Down syndrome, but for the broader Alzheimer’s population as well.”

Learn more about the research results in the full press release in UC Irvine News.