Research shines light on why women more likely to develop Alzheimer's

Protein tau may spread more rapidly in female brains than males', adding to range of factors

The reason women appear to be at greater risk of developing Alzheimer's disease than men might be due to a number of genetic, anatomical and even social influences, researchers have suggested.

Recent figures show about 65% of those with living with dementia in the UK are women, with a similar statistic seen in the US for Alzheimer's disease, while dementia is the leading cause of death for women in England. Alzheimer's disease is only one of the types of dementia, but the most common form.