Early Menopause May Raise a Woman’s Odds for Dementia

TUESDAY, March 1, 2022 (HealthDay News) — Women who enter menopause early could also be extra prone to develop dementia later in life, new analysis signifies.

During menopause, manufacturing of the feminine intercourse hormone estrogen drops dramatically and a lady’s intervals come to an finish. While girls sometimes enter menopause of their early 50s, many accomplish that earlier — both naturally or as a consequence of a medical situation or remedy comparable to a hysterectomy (elimination of the uterus).

This giant examine discovered that ladies within the U.Ok. who entered menopause earlier than age 40 had been 35% extra prone to develop dementia later in life than girls who began menopause round age 50.

What’s extra, girls who entered menopause earlier than age 45 had been 1.3 occasions extra prone to develop dementia earlier than their sixty fifth birthday, the brand new examine confirmed.

“Women with early menopause may need a close monitoring of their cognitive decline in clinical practice,” mentioned examine writer Dr. Wenting Hao, a Ph.D. candidate at Shandong University in Jinan, China.

The increased threat for dementia could also be as a result of sharp estrogen drop that takes place throughout menopause, Hao mentioned.

“Estrogen can activate cellular antioxidants such as glutathione, reduce ApoE4, the most common genetic risk factor in the pathogenesis of dementia, and reduce amyloid plaque deposition in the brain,” she defined.

The build-up of amyloid plaques within the mind is likely one of the hallmarks of Alzheimer’s illness, the most typical sort of dementia.

This doesn’t imply that ladies who begin menopause early are powerless in opposition to dementia, Hao mentioned.

“Dementia can be prevented, and there are a number of ways women who experience early menopause may be able to reduce their risk of dementia,” he mentioned. This consists of getting common train, collaborating in leisure and academic actions, not smoking or utilizing alcohol, and sustaining a wholesome weight, she mentioned.

For the examine, researchers in contrast age at menopause and dementia analysis amongst 153,291 girls (common age: 60) who had been a part of the UK Biobank, a big database of genetic and well being info on folks dwelling within the United Kingdom. They regarded for all sorts of dementia, together with Alzheimer’s.

Postmenopausal girls are at higher threat of stroke than pre-menopausal girls, and stroke could trigger vascular dementia, however the examine discovered no hyperlink between age at menopause and the chance of the sort of dementia.

While girls who entered menopause early had been at increased threat of dementia, those that entered menopause at age 52 or later had comparable charges of dementia as girls who began menopause at age 50 or 51, the examine confirmed.

The new findings held after researchers accounted for different components that will enhance dementia threat, together with age ultimately examination, race, training, cigarette and alcohol use, physique fats, coronary heart illness, diabetes, earnings and leisure and bodily actions. The examine didn’t embody info on whether or not girls had a household historical past of dementia or if girls entered menopause early for pure or medical causes, which may have an effect on the findings.

The findings had been introduced Tuesday at a gathering of the American Heart Association held in Chicago and on-line. Research introduced at medical conferences is often thought-about preliminary till revealed in a peer-reviewed journal.

These findings are according to different research displaying a higher threat of dementia amongst girls with untimely or early menopause, mentioned Dr. Stephanie Faubion, medical director of the North American Menopause Society and director of the Mayo Clinic Center for Women’s Health.

“The early loss of estrogen is linked with an increased risk of multiple adverse long-term health outcomes, and dementia is just one of them,” mentioned Faubion. Others embody coronary heart illness, brittle bone illness, osteoporosis, temper problems, sexual dysfunction and early dying.

There could also be a task for hormone substitute remedy, she mentioned.

“In addition to suggesting monitoring of these women, replacing estrogen is a key strategy and has been shown to mitigate dementia risk (and other risks) in women with premature or early menopause,” Faubion mentioned.

For years, hormone substitute remedy was broadly prescribed to deal with signs of menopause and decrease threat for coronary heart illness, osteoporosis and dementia. This all modified when the landmark Women’s Health Initiative examine confirmed that taking estrogen and progestin after menopause could improve girls’s threat for stroke, coronary heart illness, blood clots and breast most cancers. (Estrogen helps with menopause signs like sizzling flashes and vaginal dryness, and progestin is added to guard in opposition to uterine most cancers in girls who nonetheless have a uterus.)

Today, hormone substitute remedy could also be prescribed within the lowest dose for the shortest period of time to maximise advantages and reduce potential dangers.

More info

The Alzheimer’s Association gives tips about stopping dementia.

 

SOURCES: Wenting Hao, MD, PhD candidate, Shandong University, Jinan, China.; Stephanie Faubion, MD, MBA, director, Center for Women’s Health, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn., and Jacksonville, Fla., and medical director, North American Menopause Society; March 1, 2022, presentation, American Heart Association assembly, Chicago