Women in their 60s are twice as likely to be diagnosed with Alzheimer’s as they are to develop breast cancer, per the Alzheimer’s Association.
The caregiving of Alzheimer’s and dementia more often falls to women, too. Women assume more of these caregiving tasks than men, and more than 60 percent of caregivers are women, per the Alzheimer’s Association.
Another study suggested working outside the home might benefit women long-term when it comes to memory. In looking at more than 6,000 women born between 1935 and 1956, researchers noted slower memory decline in women who had participated in the labor force, per NPR.
