A large new study suggests that men’s brains may age faster than women’s — even though women are still more likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease. Published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the research analyzed more than 12,000 MRI scans from nearly 5,000 healthy adults between ages 17 and 95. The results showed that men experienced greater brain shrinkage across more regions, especially in areas tied to memory, emotion, and sensory processing.
By comparison, women’s brains retained more structure with age, though they showed slightly more expansion in fluid-filled spaces called ventricles. Researchers say this means normal brain aging doesn’t fully explain why women are diagnosed with Alzheimer’s almost twice as often. Other factors — like longer life expectancy, hormonal changes during menopause, and differences in diagnostic rates — may play a bigger role.
Because the study only included healthy participants, it didn’t look at those already showing cognitive decline. Still, scientists say these findings offer new insight into how sex, hormones, and longevity affect brain aging — and could help guide future Alzheimer’s prevention strategies.
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