Being overweight significantly raises the likelihood of developing vascular dementia, a progressive brain disease caused by reduced blood flow to the brain, according to a large study conducted by researchers in the United Kingdom and Denmark. The condition is the second most common form of dementia after Alzheimer’s disease, the Alzheimer’s Society in the UK reports, and leads to nerve cell damage, memory loss, and cognitive decline.

Obesity has long been associated with higher dementia risk, but until now, it was unclear whether excess weight directly contributes to the disease or merely reflects other underlying health conditions. Researchers analysed data from more than 500,000 participants across the two countries and found a clear causal link between higher body mass index (BMI) and vascular dementia.

The team employed a method called Mendelian randomisation, which compares individuals born with genes that predispose them to higher BMI with those who are not. Their findings showed that people with a genetically higher BMI had a substantially increased risk of vascular-related dementia. High blood pressure was identified as a major factor explaining much of this risk.

“This study shows that high body weight and high blood pressure are not just warning signs, but direct causes of dementia,” said Ruth Frikke-Schmidt, the study’s lead author and professor at the University of Copenhagen, who also serves as chief physician at Copenhagen University Hospital. She noted that maintaining a healthy weight and controlling blood pressure could be important steps in reducing the risk of dementia later in life.

Frikke-Schmidt added that while recent studies of weight-loss medications have not shown a benefit in halting cognitive decline in early Alzheimer’s, it remains to be tested whether early interventions—before the onset of cognitive symptoms—could protect against vascular dementia. “Our present data would suggest that early weight-loss interventions would prevent dementia, and especially vascular-related dementia,” she said.

Globally, dementia remains a major public health challenge, with nearly 10 million new cases reported each year, according to the World Health Organization. People living with dementia experience severe declines in memory, thinking, reasoning, and daily functioning, placing significant burdens on patients, families, and healthcare systems.

The study highlights the importance of early prevention, particularly through weight management and blood pressure control. As evidence grows linking lifestyle factors to dementia risk, experts say interventions targeting obesity and hypertension could provide a critical opportunity to reduce the future global burden of vascular dementia.

From artificial intelligence to mental health and healthy lifestyles, discussions at the World Economic Forum in Davos 2026 focused on the growing crises facing global health. Leaders emphasised prevention, accessibility, and the role of technology in strengthening strained healthcare systems.

“The first two decades of this century were a golden age for global health,” said World Health Organization Director Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. During that period, political and financial support, combined with life-saving innovations, helped many countries improve universal health coverage, service access, and financial protection by roughly a third globally.

“But in the past five years, the golden age has ended, and an icy chill has set in,” Tedros warned, citing foreign aid cuts and the need for vulnerable communities to transition toward self-reliance using domestic resources.

Artificial intelligence featured prominently as a potential tool to expand healthcare delivery. Microsoft co-founder and Gates Foundation Chair Bill Gates said AI could accelerate medical research and improve access to care, especially in countries with limited numbers of healthcare professionals. The Gates Foundation and OpenAI announced a $50 million investment to strengthen AI-driven health capacities in African countries, starting in Rwanda with a goal of supporting 1,000 primary healthcare clinics by 2028.

Rwanda’s Minister of Information Communication Technology and Innovation, Paula Ingabire, highlighted how AI can help healthcare workers focus on patient care by automating administrative tasks. “They are going to need these tools to support better care delivery…so they are more focused on delivering better and targeted care to our people,” she said.

Experts also stressed that health innovation must reach the communities that need it most. Peter Sanders, executive director of The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria, said solutions should address real health problems rather than applying tools without clear focus.

Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) were a major concern. Mosa Moshabela, vice-chancellor of the University of Cape Town, said prevention could save substantial costs, noting that the world will spend more than $30 trillion addressing NCDs between 2011 and 2030. Nancy Brown from the American Heart Association added that short-term policy cycles make it difficult for governments to invest in prevention.

Experts also highlighted disparities in access to healthy options. Johan Westman from AAK warned that nutritious foods recommended by health organisations are often expensive, time-consuming to prepare, or unavailable in many regions.

Mental health received particular attention, especially in the context of digital technologies. Marija Manojlovic of Safe Online said online challenges have real-world impacts on youth mental health. NYU President Linda Mills emphasised ending stigma, noting that “50 percent of people who are in that level of distress don’t come forward to ask help,” highlighting the need for open dialogue and accessible support systems.

The discussions at Davos underscored a shared recognition that global health requires long-term thinking, equitable access, and the strategic use of technology to strengthen prevention, care delivery, and mental health support worldwide.

Collectively, women lose approximately 75 million years of healthy life each year – equivalent to a week of health lost per woman annually, according to a new report highlighting persistent gaps in healthcare investment. While women and girls make up 49 percent of the global population and generally live longer than men, they spend 25 percent more of their lives in poor health or living with a disability.

The report, released jointly by the World Economic Forum (WEF) and Boston Consulting Group (BCG), found that investment in women’s health remains disproportionately low and narrowly concentrated on a few areas. Private healthcare funding directed at women’s health accounts for just six percent of total investment, with companies focused exclusively on women attracting less than one percent.

Trish Stroman from BCG and Shyam Bishen from WEF noted in the report that, while gender equality has progressed, “the gap between health outcomes for men and women remains substantial.” In health technology, the disparity is even wider. Analysis by international financial services firm Alantra found that women’s health companies captured only two percent of the $41.2 billion (€35.1 billion) in venture health-tech funding in 2023.

Research suggests that targeted screening and care for four key conditions in the United States – menopause, osteoporosis, Alzheimer’s disease, and cardiovascular disease – could unlock more than $100 billion (€85 billion) in market value. Yet, limited funding, combined with gaps in research design, clinical data, and access to care, continues to entrench this divide. “The result is not only a public-health shortfall but a market inefficiency on a historic scale,” the report stated.

Women face a disproportionate disease burden. Conditions such as endometriosis, menopause, polycystic ovarian syndrome, and certain cancers affect women uniquely. Five gender-specific conditions – endometriosis, maternal health, premenstrual syndrome, menopause, and cervical cancer – represent 14 percent of the female disease burden but have received less than one percent of research funding in recent years.

Between 2020 and 2025, private-sector healthcare funding totaled $2.87 trillion (€2.45 trillion), of which women’s health received just $175 billion (€149 billion). Funding is heavily concentrated in reproductive health, women’s cancers, and maternal care, which together account for 80 percent of identified funding events and 90 percent of capital. By contrast, conditions such as endometriosis, menopause, polycystic ovary syndrome, and menstrual health received less than two percent of the women’s health budget.

The report highlights the need for stronger evidence to drive investment and innovation. Women remain underrepresented in clinical trials, with Harvard Medical School researchers finding that women made up only 41.2 percent of participants in 1,433 trials, despite representing a larger share of the affected populations.

Sania Nishtar of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, told a panel at the World Economic Forum in Davos 2026 that innovation must be paired with delivery capability and sustainable financing. “If you do not have that delivery capability and the sustainable financing, you’re unable to use innovations for the impact that they’re intended to have,” she said.

The report calls for targeted, cross-sector leadership and a deeper understanding of women’s health to translate scientific evidence into meaningful policy and care solutions.