The findings, released by HealthyWomen at the American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) conference, highlight a disconnect between patient readiness and clinical practice. Despite 91% of women viewing cognitive screening as essential—equating it to cholesterol or mammogram tests—few are receiving guidance from their doctors. This silence persists even as one-quarter of the 2,000 women surveyed report noticing early changes in their own memory or cognitive function.
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The Gap Between Women's Demand for Alzheimer's Testing and Clinical Care
A staggering 90% of women aged 45 to 64 want routine cognitive screening for Alzheimer's, yet a vast divide persists in the exam room. While patients are increasingly proactive about brain health, only 9% of providers are initiating these critical conversations, leaving a generation of women without diagnostic clarity.
Beth Battaglino, CEO of HealthyWomen, notes that the era of avoiding these discussions due to stigma is fading. Patients are seeking information, yet awareness of available FDA-cleared blood biomarker tests remains at just 13%. When providers do step in, the impact is significant: 90% of women indicate they would pursue testing if recommended by a clinician. Tools such as the AANP’s Cognitive Health Point-of-Care and the AAFP Cognitive Care Kit are currently available to bridge this gap, offering a framework for practitioners to address risks and discuss interventions that could potentially slow disease progression.
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