Episode
Why Women Are Twice as Likely to Get Alzheimer's and What To Do About It | Sandy Gleysteen
- Podcast
- Proof of Practice Podcast
- Published
- May 25, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 3152
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Summary
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…