New research reveals why women seem to get Alzheimer's more often than men.

Previously, this was put down to women living longer. However, new research was presented this week at the Alzheimer's Association International Conference.

Dr Michelle Dickinson told Francesca Rudkin that the new research show's that life expectancy isn't the main factor.

"They think it's actually to do with the way that women process sugar differently, so the metabolism in the brain seems to be one of the factors."

Dickinson says the other cause is because toxic proteins, called tau, associated with the disease are able to spread more rapidly in a woman's brain.

The study also suggested brain fitness could be the key to preventing Alzheimer's.

Dickinson says the study shows why it's important to treat your brain like a muscle.

"They studied thousands of women, all were mothers, and half of them had worked throughout their motherhood and those who hadn't, and those who had worked had 61 per cent less chance of developing Alzheimer's."