Writer and journalist Maria Shriver launched the Women’s Alzheimer’s Movement (WAM) in 2010 to spotlight the disproportionate impact Alzheimer’s Disease has on women. Her personal connection to the cause began when her father, Sargent Shriver, was diagnosed with the disease in 2003. At that time, understanding of Alzheimer’s was limited, and the prevailing attitude was one of hopelessness. Shriver used her skills as a journalist to raise awareness, authoring a book titled “What’s Happening to Grandpa” and producing the HBO series “The Alzheimer’s Project” to share her caregiving experience.

Shriver’s investigative work revealed a critical insight that women make up about two-thirds of Alzheimer’s cases and are also the primary caregivers, accounting for two-thirds of caregiving roles. This startling statistic prompted her to establish WAM to fund research focused on women’s brain health. In 2022, WAM partnered with Cleveland Clinic, leading to the creation of the first Alzheimer’s prevention clinic dedicated specifically to women at the Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health in Las Vegas.

Despite progress, awareness among women remains low. A 2026 Cleveland Clinic report based on a survey of 2,000 women found that fewer than 20 percent understood that women face a higher risk of developing Alzheimer’s than men, and only 29 percent expressed concern about the disease. Shriver emphasizes that once women learn about their heightened vulnerability, many change their behaviors, adopting healthier lifestyles such as regular exercise to protect brain health and potentially delay or prevent Alzheimer’s onset.

Shriver advocates for making brain health a routine topic of conversation, signaling a shift in how Alzheimer’s prevention is approached. She highlights that brain health evolves throughout women’s lives with significant phases like puberty, pregnancy, and menopause influencing risk. Partnering with Eli Lilly & Co on the “Brain Health Matters” campaign, Shriver stresses the importance of early intervention—starting in one’s 30s and 40s—through lifestyle choices to combat this chronic condition that often develops silently for decades before symptoms appear.