Psychologists and neurologists say Alzheimer’s disease is a common form of dementia that is more commonly seen in women. They believe that women’s longer life expectancy compared with men, hormonal changes, stress and anxiety may be among the reasons behind this.
Doctors say Alzheimer’s gradually causes memory loss, problems with thinking and a reduced ability to carry out daily activities. With advancing age, the risk of developing the disease also increases.
Saeed Qaderi, a neurologist, says Alzheimer’s is the most common form of dementia. He says it usually begins around the age of 65 and becomes more common with advancing age.
“Alzheimer’s is the most common form of dementia. It causes the gradual deterioration of brain cells and leads to memory loss, reduced thinking ability and difficulty performing daily activities. Alzheimer’s usually begins at the age of 65 and becomes more common with advancing age, with the highest level observed at the age of 75,” he says.
Abdulrab Hamidi, a neurosurgeon, says Alzheimer’s is more common among women because of their longer life expectancy and hormonal changes, which can affect brain function.
“Sixty to 70 percent of Alzheimer’s patients are women. Second, as women advance in age, they experience more hormonal changes in their bodies. These hormonal changes can affect brain function and may contribute to Alzheimer’s,” he says.
Mohammadullah Baloch, a psychologist, says women with Alzheimer’s may experience weakness in memory and learning ability, disruptions in daily activities, forgetfulness and mood changes such as anger and nervous distress.
“Women who develop Alzheimer’s may experience symptoms such as weakness in memory, reduced learning ability, difficulty managing daily plans and forgetfulness. They may also experience nervous distress, increased anger and emotional weakness,” he says.
Abduljalil Amarkhail, another psychologist, says treatments such as cognitive therapy, strengthening social relationships, reminiscence therapy and reducing anxiety can play an important role in reducing the effects of Alzheimer’s.
However, a number of women interviewed for this report say that aging and Alzheimer’s have caused them to face problems such as forgetfulness, the cessation of their periods and infertility.
Khalida, a 61-year-old woman from Kabul, says she has severe memory problems and cannot remember many of her daily tasks. She attributes the problem to aging and the use of diabetes medication.
“I have severe memory problems. I don’t remember anything. I can’t even remember what we ate or what we did the night before. I had diabetes and was taking a lot of diabetes medication, and I think that affected me a lot. I’m also getting older. My memory isn’t what it used to be, and I can’t remember things,” she says.
Zarghona, another 70-year-old woman from Logar, says she has developed severe memory problems as she has grown older and quickly forgets many daily tasks, people’s names and even short-term conversations.
“As I’ve gotten older, and since my period stopped, my memory has become worse. Every day, I forget things, mix up people’s names, forget simple tasks, and in the end, I don’t even know what I was doing,” she adds.
Afsana, another 65-year-old woman from Kabul, also says her memory has become very weak and that she quickly forgets many things.
“These days, my memory hardly helps me at all. Everything quickly slips from my mind. I had a lot of stress when I was young, and I still do. Sometimes I stop in the middle of a task and can’t remember why I came there or what I wanted to do. I even forget familiar people’s names for a moment. I have to think a lot before I can remember them,” she says.
A World Health Organization report published on March 31, 2025, shows that women are disproportionately at risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. Women are not only more likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease but also bear a greater share of the caregiving burden.
Reporter: Husna sadat
