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When Maria Shriver<\/a>\u2019s father, Sargent Shriver, was diagnosed with Alzheimer\u2019s disease<\/a> over two decades ago, she had more questions than answers. \u201cThis was the most intelligent human being I had ever met,\u201d she said of her late father, a former U.S. ambassador to France, during a panel with Women\u2019s Health Executive Editor Abigail Cuffey at the Women\u2019s Health Lab. \u201cSo, the idea that this brain had come up with all of these things and now couldn\u2019t decide what a fork was, or who I was, was extraordinary to me. I approached it like a journalist and said: \u2018What is this? What is this thing called Alzheimer\u2019s? Where does it start? How does it happen to a brain like that?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n That line of questioning ultimately led the former First Lady of California to a sobering reality: \u201cTwo-thirds of [people who get diagnosed with Alzheimer\u2019s] are women,\u201d she said. \u201cAnd since we have done no research on women, we have no idea why that is.\u201d Shriver later continued the conversation with Prevention to share exactly what she\u2019s doing to change that as the founder of the Women\u2019s Alzheimer\u2019s Movement<\/a> at Cleveland Clinic\u2014the first and only Alzheimer\u2019s prevention organization designed specifically for women.<\/p>\n \u201cAs someone who has spent their life in media, I\u2019m a storyteller at heart. So I always look at what [the story is] that I’m trying to tell. What is the story I’m being told?\u2026 Is it accurate? If not, where are the holes in the story? What should the story be?\u201d she tells me. \u201cThe women\u2019s health story has changed dramatically in the last couple of years\u2026[Now,] how do we continue to reframe that story in a way that includes the brain?\u201d<\/p>\n Shriver believes it starts with early detection<\/a>, and that means taking steps to protect your brain health<\/a> during every chapter of life. \u201cYou don\u2019t just wake up to an aging brain\u2026It happens over time,\u201d she says, emphasizing the changes the brain goes through at every stage, from in utero to puberty to pregnancy to menopause<\/a> and beyond. \u201cIt\u2019s an evolving organ, [but it] controls everything. And without it, you\u2019re nothing.\u201d<\/p>\n Maria Shriver in conversation with Abigail Cuffey at the Women\u2019s Health Lab.<\/p>\n That speaks to one of the central misunderstandings about Alzheimer\u2019s disease that prevents many people from getting an early diagnosis, according to Beth Battaglino, R.N.<\/a>, C.E.O. of HealthyWomen<\/a>. \u201cI think the biggest misconception is that Alzheimer\u2019s disease is an older person\u2019s disease when it\u2019s not,\u201d she tells me. \u201cNormal aging may involve occasionally forgetting names or appointments, maybe remembering them later. But early Alzheimer\u2019s disease<\/a> typically involves persistent changes that interfere with everyday functioning\u2026and Alzheimer\u2019s is not just memory loss<\/a>. Early symptoms can also include changes in judgment, language, mood, planning, or even problem-solving.\u201d<\/p>\n Understanding that distinction is key to catching Alzheimer\u2019s early, but more research reveals that you don\u2019t have to wait for symptoms to manifest to take action. \u201cAlzheimer\u2019s disease research is continuing to expand our understanding of the disease in important ways, including what may be possible before symptoms appear,\u201d explains Jennifer Oleksiw, Group Vice President and U.S. Neuroscience and Global Commercial Innovation Officer of Eli Lilly and Company, with which Shriver has partnered in her brain health advocacy. \u201cAt Lilly, we\u2019re studying the earliest stages of Alzheimer\u2019s disease<\/a> and exploring whether intervention before symptoms develop may help reduce the risk of progression. Knowledge about brain health and risk factors can help people have more informed conversations with their doctors and may support earlier detection, accurate diagnosis, and more personalized care planning.\u201d<\/p>\n Oleksiw encourages adults over 55 years old to proactively speak with their doctors about preventative cognitive assessments and \u201chealthy habits that may support lifelong brain health.\u201d But Shriver urges women to seize control of their brain health even earlier. \u201c[It\u2019s important to tell women that] their health is critical,\u201d Shriver says. \u201c[If they] want to age with strength, independence, and a viable brain, they have to make choices as young women [to get that] end result.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou can do things today that will help you tomorrow. And that\u2019s exciting, [or] at least, empowering.\u201d<\/p>\n Battaglino agrees. \u201cMany people dismiss cognitive concerns because they think nothing can be done. And that\u2019s the furthest thing from the truth right now. In reality, early evaluation can identify treatable issues and help people access support earlier,\u201d she says. \u201cWhen families and communities speak openly about brain health, people are more likely to recognize symptoms earlier and seek support sooner.\u201d<\/p>\n Battaglino encourages people not to give in to the fear that might hinder them from seeking help, and instead focus on how getting answers could be empowering. \u201cThere\u2019s so much research being done right now in the brain health space, and the fact that they can actually test for Alzheimer\u2019s now is exciting in a way, right? Because now that we know earlier, it gives people the time and the opportunity to map out the rest of their lives,\u201d she says. \u201cNo one wants a diagnosis of Alzheimer\u2019s. No one wants a diagnosis of cancer. But once you have that diagnosis, you can understand that there are options, and actually [having] a healthcare team that can help navigate those options with you is important because it does give you back time.\u201d<\/p>\n As for Shriver, when she looks to the future, she hopes preventative brain health care will be normalized to the point that seeking support won\u2019t feel like such a big step. \u201cI\u2019m hopeful that when women go in [to the doctor], when they think about their health, they don\u2019t just think [about getting] a mammogram<\/a> or a pap smear, but they think of a cognitive assessment, too,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n In the meantime, Shriver urges women to take matters into their own hands. \u201cSome of this is preventable. It\u2019s not just inevitable, and [you don\u2019t have to sit back] and wait for it to happen,\u201d she says. \u201cYou can do things today that will help you tomorrow. And that\u2019s exciting, [or] at least, empowering. So, I\u2019m trying to pull every lever that\u2019s available to me. I don\u2019t know if it\u2019s going to help me or work for me. But [I know] that if I get Alzheimer\u2019s [or] dementia<\/a>, it won\u2019t be because I did nothing.\u201d<\/p>\n The 3rd annual Women\u2019s Health Lab was hosted by Hearst Magazines in partnership with Northwell’s Katz Institute for Women’s Health. Lilly served as title sponsor, with additional sponsors including Altra, Bayer, Boehringer Ingelheim, Ipsen, L\u2019Oreal Paris, Organic Valley, and WaterWipes.<\/p>\n Maria Shriver attended the Women\u2019s Health Lab on behalf of Lilly.<\/p>\n![\"new](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/e400f901-0d48-4394-89f9-1775e582e62c.jpg\" "\\"new")
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