An estimated 80% of women have a kind of Symptoms of the menopause – And the more symptoms they experience, the greater the opportunities for developing dementia at a later age.
The findings were published in the magazine Plos One after a study by the University of Calgary.
The researchers analyzed the data of 896 postmenopausal women who participated in the Canadian Platform for Research Online to investigate health, quality of life, cognition, behavior, function and care in aging (CAN-Protect) study.
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The women reported their perimenopausal symptoms to researchers. Their cognitive function was measured with the help of the daily cognition (ECOG-II) scale and the mild behavioral disorders checklist (MBI-C), with higher scores that indicate a greater severity.
Those with bigger Menopausal symptoms Had higher scores for both cognitive tests, which indicates a more serious decline.
An estimated 80% of women experience a kind of menopause symptoms – and the worse they are, the greater the opportunities to develop dementia later in life, according to a new study. (Istock)
“One of the most interesting findings was the association between the symptom tax of the menopausal and mild behavioral investment symptoms (MBI) – a syndrome that is increasingly recognized as an early Indicator of dementia -risk“Lead study author Zahinoor Ismail, MD, professor of psychiatry, neurology, epidemiology and pathology at the University of Calgary, Fox News Digital told.
“These new findings emphasize the need to not only consider cognitive changes, but also mood, social interaction and personality changes that arise and persist in the later life after the menopause.”
“These new findings emphasize the need to not only consider cognitive changes, but also mood, social interaction and personality changes.”
Although hormone therapy was not significantly associated with the cognitive function, according to the researchers it appeared that it had a significant link with fewer MBI symptoms, in which the need for further research into the potential role of hormone therapy in the health of the long term.
“It is interesting that participants who reported that they used estrogen -based hormone therapy during the perimenopause had a significantly lower severity of the mild behavioral disorders,” said Ismail.
“One of the most interesting findings was the association between the symptom tax of menopause and mild behavioral disorders symptoms – a syndrome that is increasingly recognized as an early indicator of the risk of dementia,” the main research author noted. (Istock)
Alexa Fiffick, a board certified general practitioner doctor Specialized in the menopause, stated that earlier data has shown that a higher symptom tax is in one way or another related to reduced cognitive function and possibly dementia.
Some studies have shown that even when hot flashes are not observed by the woman, they are still associated with worsened cognitive function, according to the Ohio Doctor.
“It is believed that the vasomotor symptoms are correlated with the development of white matter hyperintensities in the brain, related to what vascular dementia looks like imaging,” Fiffick, who was not involved in the new study, to Fox News Digital.
“We still have to obtain the data that the treatment of VM’s cognitive decline will prevent, but hopeful that with menopaazal hormone therapy And other non-hormonal options, we can obtain this data in the near future. “
Possible limitations
The researchers recognized different limitations of the research.
“This study is cross -section, which means that it records a snapshot in time instead of following changes over the years,” Ismail told Fox News Digital.
Some studies have shown that even when hot flashes are not observed by the woman, they are still associated with worsened cognitive function. (Istock)
This means that it can only identify associations between symptoms of menopause and cognitive and behavioral health, but cannot determine whether the symptoms immediately cause the changes in brain health.
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“In order to better understand the long -term impact of the menopause on the risk of dementia, future research must follow the participants over time and record biological data, such as hormone levels and brain -related biomarkers (we actually do this now),” Ismail added.
The study also did not assess the severity of the symptoms, which could play a key role in understanding the risk.
“This research simply reinforces that menopause is just as much a neurological shift as a hormonal.” (Istock)
Another limitation is that the study focused on the most reported symptoms of the menopause, but it is possible that some participants experienced extra symptoms.
“It has even been reported that there may be 30+ symptoms that women can experience when undergoing the transition from the menopause,” Ismail said. “Although we have recorded a category ‘other symptoms’, this may not fully reflect the reach of experiences.”
The study also made no distinction between different shapes and formulations of hormone therapy.
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“Future studies Will be able to investigate whether specific types of HT have different effects on the health of the brain, “Ismail noted.
“Brainscans of women in the menopause reveal real structural and metabolic changes, and this study strengthens that we cannot simply drop these symptoms as ‘normal aging’.
Tamsen Fadal, an expert and author of the New York menopause of the coming book “How to menopause: Take the leadership of your health, take your life back and feel even better than before,” said she was not surprised by the results of the study.
“Research has been pointing to this context for a while,” she said Fox News Digital. “Brainscans of women in the menopause reveal real structural and metabolic changes, and this study reinforces that we cannot simply brush these symptoms like “Normal aging.”“
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“For too long, women experienced brain fog, memory and mood changes, and many of us have been rejected,” Fadal continued.
“This research simply reinforces that menopause is just as much a neurological shift as a hormonal.”
