Today, almost 4% of men and just over 4% of women ages 65 and older have been diagnosed with dementia.

But how dementia plays out isn't evenly experienced between men and women. Men have substantially higher rates of hospitalization, hospice stay, and death after a dementia diagnosis than women do. 

A new study published in JAMA Neurology looked at multi-year data on more than 5.7 million Medicare patients. It revealed that men may be hospitalized and die from dementia more quickly because they're more likely to also suffer from cerebrovascular disease, heart disease, kidney disease, or have suffered a heart attack.

Men may also have fewer caregiver resources and have behavioral symptoms that send them to the hospital more often than women.

Whatever their situation, men who are likely to develop cognitive problems or dementia can reduce their risks.

A study in JAMA Network shows that regular moderate- to high-intensity physical exercise, adherence to the MIND diet, cognitive challenges, social engagement, and cardiovascular health monitoring help preserve cognition. And when they're done in a structured, higher-intensity intervention, the results are even more positive.

Check out the Alzheimer's Association's ALZNavigator at alz.org for help finding a program.

In addition, if men are obese and/or have Type 2 diabetes, another new study shows they can cut their risk for full-blown dementia and all-cause death by taking metformin for 10 years.