MENOPAUSE AND DEMENTIA: CAN HORMONAL CHANGES CAN AFFECT THE BRAIN? - MYA CARE

Mya Care13 Feb, 2024Health

What pops into your mind when you think of menopause? Hot flashes? Night sweats? Mood swings? Dementia, though, might not have been on that list. Recently, researchers discovered an alarming link between early menopause and dementia. The authors of a study published in JAMA ? in April 2023 ? reported that women who entered menopause early (before turning 40) had a much higher risk of developing dementia than women who enter menopause at 50-51. They also linked the timing of hormone replacement therapy to the likelihood of developing dementia. Previous studies have suggested that menopause can increase women?s risk of Alzheimer's Disease (one of the most common causes of dementia), but researchers were unsure how or why. Now, scientists believe that the sudden drop in estrogen levels that comes with menopause may be to blame.