A recent study highlights that severe symptoms of menopause can affect women’s brain health. By 2040, cases are expected to double and reach 81.1 million worldwide.
A new study published Wednesday suggests that severe menopausal symptoms, such as hot flashes and depression, may negatively impact cognitive function in postmenopausal women. Globally, more than 24 million people are living with dementia. As the world’s population ages, dementia diagnoses are on the rise. An estimated 4.6 million new cases are diagnosed each year, meaning one person is diagnosed with dementia every 7 seconds.
Photo gallery: 7 natural home remedies to combat the symptoms of menopause
How can menopause increase the risk of dementia?
By 2040, dementia cases are expected to double to 81.1 million worldwide. In the new study, which included nearly 1,300 late postmenopausal women from nine Latin American countries, researchers found that severe menopausal symptoms (such as hot flashes, sleep disorders and mood disorders) were linked to cognitive decline.
The study raises the question of whether effective treatment of hot flashes with hormone therapy or other approved therapies could improve cognitive functions such as memory, attention, language and executive function. However, this remains uncertain. In the paper, published in the journal Menopause, the researchers concluded that cognitive health is influenced by a complex interplay of hormonal, lifestyle and sociodemographic factors.
“This study showed a possible link between severe menopausal symptoms and cognitive decline in midlife women,” said Dr. Stephanie Faubion, medical director of The Menopause Society. “The results also suggest a protective effect of lower body mass index, higher education level, physical exercise, hormone therapy use, and sexual activity on cognition, highlighting the potential for interventions aimed at protecting and preserving cognitive function in menopausal women.” According to medical experts, 40 percent of cases of Alzheimer’s disease, the most common form of dementia, can be prevented or delayed.
This has generated significant interest in identifying risk factors, particularly the role of estradiol in female cognitive aging. Since menopause is characterized by a decline in estrogen, postmenopausal women are at increased risk of dementia.
(Inputs: IANS)
