Why Women Are Twice as Likely to Get Alzheimer's and What To Do About It | Sandy Gleysteen

To cut through the noise in health and wellness — with honest, research-backed conversations that inspire real people to live longer, stronger, and more fully. No shame, no shortcuts, no wellness theater.

25 May 2026

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 research grant program and the Women’s Alzheimer’s Prevention Center at Cleveland Clinic. CONNECT WITH DR SANDY GLEYSTEEN * Instagram (WAM): https://www.instagram.com/womensalzmovement/ * Website: https://thewomensalzheimersmovement.org/ Timestamps * 00:00 Welcome: What Is the Women’s Alzheimer’s Movement? * 01:45 Dementia vs. Alzheimer’s: What Every Woman Needs to Know * 03:00 Estrogen as a Neuroprotector: Why Menopause Puts Women at Risk * 05:00 HRT and Brain Health: The Window You Cannot Miss * 08:15 Sandy’s Journey from NBC to WAM: Journalism Meets Brain Science * 15:55 40-50% of Alzheimer’s Is Preventable: Exercise, Nutrition, and Stress * 24:35 Sleep and the Glymphatic System: Your Brain’s Overnight Clean-Up Crew * 28:45 Alcohol Is a Neurotoxin: What the Research Actually Says * 35:10 Creatine for Women: Brain Benefits Backed by Science * 37:15 The APOE4 Gene Test: Should You Get Tested? * 39:20 WAM Prevention Center at Cleveland Clinic: Who It Is For * 47:45 Practical Caregiving Advice: How to Support Someone with Alzheimer’s – ABOUT THE PROOF OF PRACTICE The Proof of Practice: Where Science Meets Practice Hosted by five of the most respected names in women’s health: Dr. Abbie Smith-Ryan, Amber Taylor, Gabby Reece, Dr. Gabrielle Lyon, and Dr. Stacy Sims, this show exists because women have been studied less, treated as afterthoughts, and given advice built for men. We’re changing that. Every episode brings evidence-based, experience-backed conversations on strength, metabolism, hormones, longevity, and performance: for women, by women who’ve dedicated their careers to getting it right. No trends. No shortcuts. Just the proof that practice works. – JOIN THE PROOF OF PRACTICE COMMUNITY The conversation doesn’t stop when the episode does. 📷 Follow us for evidence-based clips and the kind of content that makes you feel less alone in what you’re going through. This is where the conversation stays alive. 👉 https://www.instagram.com/proofofpractice_ 💌 Some things deserve more space than an episode allows. Join us on Substack for deeper dives, exclusive resources, and the nuance that actually helps you make sense of your health, not just follow a trend. 🎧 If this episode moved you, challenged you, or gave you something you needed to hear, there’s more where that came from. Subscribe so you never have to go looking. Every new conversation lands straight in your feed, ready when you are. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit proofpractice.substack.com