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Poster Session

Two in three individuals with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) are women. Crucially, sex differences in AD pathology burden are apparent even in clinically normal adults, which in turn may explain higher incidents of AD among women. This study investigates sex differences in tau pathology and whether Abnormal βamyloid (Aβ) strengthens this association between sex and tau. In a novel analysis, we also seek to investigate the mechanisms behind sex differences in AD pathology, testing the influence of hormone therapy (HT) exposure and menopause on higher tau retention in women. This work has clear implications for gender biology, sex differences and women’s health research.

This study aims to link sex differences in metabolism to sex differences in the immune system.

Migraine is a common neurovascular disorder that exhibits striking sex differences. Women of reproductive age are substantially more likely to experience migraine than similarly aged men. Yet, the degree to which migraine might serve as a clinically meaningful marker of obstetric risk is unknown. Here, we show that migraine diagnosed before pregnancy is an independent risk marker for preterm delivery, gestational hypertension, and preeclampsia in a large prospective study. We also show that aspirin may reduce risks of preterm delivery and preeclampsia among women with migraine. These findings highlight the need to include migraine history in obstetric risk assessment, and for further research on aspirin prophylaxis to reduce risk of APOs in pregnant women with a history of migraine. Considering the high prevalence of migraine in women of childbearing age, combined with the substantial contribution of preeclampsia to maternal morbidity and mortality, these findings have important implications for women’s health.