HoldsUp

Nicole Beurkens

Nicole Beurkens is a researcher whose work focuses on child psychology and developmental disorders. Her published research investigates the relationship between autism severity and the qualities of caregiver-child and parent-child interactions, including studies conducted in the context of Relationship Development Intervention.

5 claims checked on air: 1 context 4 supported

What they said on air

0:15:01supportedmoderateWhy Women Should Start Protecting Their Brain Now with Dr. N

One in five women will be diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease.

"Uh, one in five women will be diagnosed with Alzheimer's." (said at 0:15:01)

Large prospective cohort data establish that the estimated remaining lifetime risk of developing Alzheimer's disease or dementia for a woman is approximately 1 in 5 (around 20%), compared to roughly 1 in 10 for men. In the Framingham Heart Study, which prospectively tracked participants and accounted for competing mortality risks, the estimated lifetime risk of dementia/Alzheimer's disease was 1 in 5 for women starting from midlife.

0:15:01supportedhighWhy Women Should Start Protecting Their Brain Now with Dr. N

Two-thirds of the people diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease are women.

"Two-thirds of the people diagnosed with Alzheimer's are women." (said at 0:15:01)

Large-scale epidemiological studies and comprehensive reviews consistently confirm that women account for approximately two-thirds (roughly 60% to 67%) of all diagnosed Alzheimer's disease cases. This difference is driven both by women's longer average life expectancy and by distinct sex-specific biological and hormonal risk factors.

0:25:23needs contextlowWhy Women Should Start Protecting Their Brain Now with Dr. N

Loneliness is a driver of systemic inflammation and chronic health issues.

"How loneliness is a driver of inflammation and chronic health issues." (said at 0:25:23)

The assertion that loneliness drives systemic inflammation is supported by observational evidence for specific inflammatory markers, but requires qualification regarding causality and marker specificity. A systematic review and meta-analysis found a statistically significant association between loneliness and interleukin-6 (IL-6) in fully adjusted analyses, but found no association between loneliness and C-reactive protein (CRP) or fibrinogen (PMID: 32092313). Individual cohort data similarly demonstrate an independent association between higher loneliness and elevated IL-6 levels (PMID: 33932766). However, because the body of evidence is primarily observational and shows inconsistent links across different systemic inflammatory biomarkers, describing loneliness as a clear causal driver overstates the strength and consistency of the current scientific literature.

0:31:28supportedmoderateWhy Women Should Start Protecting Their Brain Now with Dr. N

Estradiol specifically is critical for the brain's ability to utilize glucose for energy, and reductions in estradiol during perimenopause and menopause impair brain energy metabolism.

"And glucose is that primary energy source for the brain. But what happens in perimenopause and into menopause, as those estradiol levels drop, it turns out estrogen, estradiol specifically, is really critical for the brain's ability to use glucose for energy. And so when we start to have those declines, and as those declines become more pronounced as we get closer to menopause, those estradiol reductions really impact our brain's ability to have the energy that it needs to function well." (said at 0:31:28)

Preclinical and human neuroimaging studies demonstrate that 17β-estradiol acts as a master regulator of cerebral glucose metabolism and mitochondrial bioenergetics. During the perimenopausal and menopausal transitions, dropping estrogen levels are associated with marked declines in the cerebral metabolic rate of glucose (CMRglc) as measured by FDG-PET imaging, as well as reductions in mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase activity, leading to an established regional hypometabolic bioenergetic phenotype.

0:48:06supportedmoderateWhy Women Should Start Protecting Their Brain Now with Dr. N

It takes an average of 17 years for research findings to be implemented into clinical medical practice.

"that it takes a really long time, on average 17 years, for things to reach clinical practice once they've been shown in research." (said at 0:48:06)

The statement accurately cites a canonical metric in implementation science. The estimate that it takes an average of 17 years for scientific discoveries to be integrated into routine clinical practice originates from an influential synthesis by Balas and Boren (2000), which modeled the research-to-practice pipeline. Subsequent reviews of time lags in translational research have examined this 17-year figure across multiple clinical domains, noting that while the duration varies widely depending on the intervention type, technology, and study design, a ~17-year average lag is widely documented in the literature.

Fact-checked episodes

Publications