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Yahoo
13-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Higher dementia risk seen in women with common health issue
An estimated 80% of women have some type of menopause symptoms — and the more symptoms they experience, the greater the chances of developing dementia later in life. The findings were published in the journal PLOS One following 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, Behaviour, Function, and Caregiving in Aging (CAN-PROTECT) study. 4 Key Women's Health Issues That Have Been Neglected, Expert Says The women reported their perimenopausal symptoms to researchers. Their cognitive function was measured using the Everyday Cognition (ECog-II) Scale and the Mild Behavioral Impairment Checklist (MBI-C), with higher scores indicating greater severity. Those with greater menopausal symptoms had higher scores for both cognitive tests, indicating more severe decline. Read On The Fox News App "One of the most interesting findings was the association between menopausal symptom burden and mild behavioral impairment (MBI) symptoms — a syndrome increasingly recognized as an early indicator of dementia risk," lead study author Zahinoor Ismail, M.D., professor of psychiatry, neurology, epidemiology and pathology at the University of Calgary, told Fox News Digital. "These novel findings highlight the need to consider not only cognitive changes, but also mood, social interaction and personality changes that emerge and persist in later life following menopause." While hormone therapy was not significantly associated with cognitive function, it was shown to have a significant link to fewer MBI symptoms, according to the researchers, emphasizing the need for further research into the potential role of hormone therapy in long-term brain health. "Interestingly, participants who reported using estrogen-based hormone therapy during perimenopause had significantly lower mild behavioral impairment symptom severity," noted Ismail. Alexa Fiffick, a board-certified family medicine physician specializing in menopause, stated that previous data has shown higher symptom burden is somehow related to decreased cognitive function and possibly dementia. Some studies have shown that even when hot flashes aren't perceived by the woman, they are still associated with worsened cognitive function, according to the Ohio doctor. Testosterone Therapy Could Help Boost Women's Sex Drive As They Age, But Risks Exist, Experts Say "It is believed that the vasomotor symptoms are correlated with development of white matter hyperintensities in the brain, akin to what vascular dementia looks like on imaging," Fiffick, who was not involved in the new study, told Fox News Digital. "We have yet to obtain the data that treating VMS will prevent cognitive decline, but are hopeful that with menopausal hormone therapy and other non-hormonal options, we may be able to obtain this data in the near future." The researchers acknowledged several limitations of the study. "This study is cross-sectional, meaning it captures a snapshot in time rather than tracking changes over the years," Ismail told Fox News Digital. This means it can only identify associations between menopause symptoms and cognitive and behavioral health, but cannot determine whether the symptoms directly cause the changes in brain health. Click Here To Sign Up For Our Health Newsletter "To better understand the long-term impact of menopause on dementia risk, future research should follow participants over time and incorporate biological data, such as hormone levels and brain-related biomarkers (we are, in fact, doing this now)," Ismail added. The study also did not assess the severity of the symptoms, which could play a key role in understanding risk. Another limitation is that the study focused on the most commonly reported menopause symptoms, but it's possible that some participants experienced additional symptoms. "In fact, it's reported that there may be 30+ symptoms that females may experience when undergoing the menopause transition," said Ismail. "While we included an 'other symptoms' category, it may not fully reflect the range of experiences." The study also did not distinguish between different types and formulations of hormone therapy. "Future studies will be able to explore whether specific types of HT have different effects on brain health," Ismail noted. Tamsen Fadal, a New York menopause expert and author of the upcoming book "How to Menopause: Take Charge of Your Health, Reclaim Your Life, and Feel Even Better than Before," said she was not surprised by the results of the study. "Research has been pointing to this connection for a while," she told Fox News Digital. "Brain scans of women in menopause reveal real structural and metabolic changes, and this study reinforces that we can't just brush these symptoms off as 'normal aging.'" For more Health articles, visit "For too long, women have been experiencing brain fog, memory lapses and mood changes, and many of us have been dismissed," Fadal went on. "This research just reinforces that menopause is a neurological shift as much as it is a hormonal one."Original article source: Higher dementia risk seen in women with common health issue
Fox News
13-03-2025
- Health
- Fox News
Higher dementia risk seen in women with common health issue
An estimated 80% of women have some type of menopause symptoms — and the more symptoms they experience, the greater the chances of developing dementia later in life. The findings were published in the journal PLOS One following 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, Behaviour, Function, and Caregiving in Aging (CAN-PROTECT) study. The women reported their perimenopausal symptoms to researchers. Their cognitive function was measured using the Everyday Cognition (ECog-II) Scale and the Mild Behavioral Impairment Checklist (MBI-C), with higher scores indicating greater severity. Those with greater menopausal symptoms had higher scores for both cognitive tests, indicating more severe decline. "One of the most interesting findings was the association between menopausal symptom burden and mild behavioral impairment (MBI) symptoms — a syndrome increasingly recognized as an early indicator of dementia risk," lead study author Zahinoor Ismail, M.D., professor of psychiatry, neurology, epidemiology and pathology at the University of Calgary, told Fox News Digital. "These novel findings highlight the need to consider not only cognitive changes, but also mood, social interaction and personality changes that emerge and persist in later life following menopause." "These novel findings highlight the need to consider not only cognitive changes, but also mood, social interaction and personality changes." While hormone therapy was not significantly associated with cognitive function, it was shown to have a significant link to fewer MBI symptoms, according to the researchers, emphasizing the need for further research into the potential role of hormone therapy in long-term brain health. "Interestingly, participants who reported using estrogen-based hormone therapy during perimenopause had significantly lower mild behavioral impairment symptom severity," noted Ismail. Alexa Fiffick, a board-certified family medicine physician specializing in menopause, stated that previous data has shown higher symptom burden is somehow related to decreased cognitive function and possibly dementia. Some studies have shown that even when hot flashes aren't perceived 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 development of white matter hyperintensities in the brain, akin to what vascular dementia looks like on imaging," Fiffick, who was not involved in the new study, told Fox News Digital. "We have yet to obtain the data that treating VMS will prevent cognitive decline, but are hopeful that with menopausal hormone therapy and other non-hormonal options, we may be able to obtain this data in the near future." The researchers acknowledged several limitations of the study. "This study is cross-sectional, meaning it captures a snapshot in time rather than tracking changes over the years," Ismail told Fox News Digital. This means it can only identify associations between menopause symptoms and cognitive and behavioral health, but cannot determine whether the symptoms directly cause the changes in brain health. "To better understand the long-term impact of menopause on dementia risk, future research should follow participants over time and incorporate biological data, such as hormone levels and brain-related biomarkers (we are, in fact, doing this now)," Ismail added. The study also did not assess the severity of the symptoms, which could play a key role in understanding risk. Another limitation is that the study focused on the most commonly reported menopause symptoms, but it's possible that some participants experienced additional symptoms. "In fact, it's reported that there may be 30+ symptoms that females may experience when undergoing the menopause transition," said Ismail. "While we included an 'other symptoms' category, it may not fully reflect the range of experiences." The study also did not distinguish between different types and formulations of hormone therapy. "Future studies will be able to explore whether specific types of HT have different effects on brain health," Ismail noted. "Brain scans of women in menopause reveal real structural and metabolic changes, and this study reinforces that we can't just brush these symptoms off as 'normal aging.'" Tamsen Fadal, a New York menopause expert and author of the upcoming book "How to Menopause: Take Charge of Your Health, Reclaim Your Life, and Feel Even Better than Before," said she was not surprised by the results of the study. "Research has been pointing to this connection for a while," she told Fox News Digital. "Brain scans of women in menopause reveal real structural and metabolic changes, and this study reinforces that we can't just brush these symptoms off as 'normal aging.'" For more Health articles, visit "For too long, women have been experiencing brain fog, memory lapses and mood changes, and many of us have been dismissed," Fadal went on. "This research just reinforces that menopause is a neurological shift as much as it is a hormonal one."
Yahoo
06-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Greater menopause symptoms linked to memory and thinking problems
Women who suffer greater menopause symptoms are more likely to experience memory and thinking problems as they age, research has suggested. Experts found that women who recalled a heavier burden of menopausal symptoms were more likely to report issues with memory, language and in areas such as planning, organisation and self-control. The findings suggest the menopausal phase could be important for assessing dementia risk, academics said, though more work is needed. Canadian researchers looked at data from 896 post-menopausal women whose average age was around 64. Their menopause symptoms started around the age of 49 on average. The women reported menopausal symptoms such as hot flushes, brain fog and mood swings. They were given a list of 11 symptoms, scoring them between zero to 10 based on how often they experienced them. Hot flushes were the most common, reported by 88% of the group, followed by night sweats. The study found that women who recalled more symptoms reported more problems with thinking, learning and memory. They also had more mild behavioural impairment symptoms, such as changes in personality, decreased motivation or impulse control issues. Researchers said the findings, published in the journal Plos One, 'suggest menopausal symptom burden may predict susceptibility to dementia'. They added: 'Greater menopausal symptom burden may be associated with greater cognitive and behavioural decline in later life, both risk markers of dementia. 'Estrogen-based hormone therapy may contribute to mitigating clinical symptoms, particularly behavioural symptoms.' The data used by researchers was taken from the Canadian Platform for Research Online to Investigate Health, Quality of Life, Cognition, Behaviour, Function, and Caregiving in Aging (CAN-PROTECT) study, which forms part of the PROTECT study, run by the University of Exeter and NHS. Professor Anne Corbett, of the University of Exeter and PROTECT study lead, said: 'Changes in cognitive function are part of the normal ageing process and are often nothing to worry about. 'However, we know that Alzheimer's disease starts long before diagnosis and identifying the earliest factors influencing its progression is crucial to helping people access the best treatment and support. 'This study suggests that the menopausal phase could be an important period for assessing dementia risk. 'However, it's important to note that dementia risk involves many different factors. 'It's difficult to know at this stage how much of an effect menopausal symptoms really have and more research is needed before we can say for certain whether menopause severity should be considered a major risk factor. 'What we do know is the best way to reduce our risk of dementia is to stay physically active, maintain a healthy weight and to manage other medical conditions.' Aimee Spector, a professor of clinical psychology of ageing at UCL, said: 'Whilst they found an association; there is no evidence that the menopause symptoms led to the cognitive changes and there could be many possible reasons why people with more menopause symptoms may experience more cognitive changes, such as depression or physical health conditions. 'I don't think that the study can tell us anything about menopause symptoms and the risk of dementia, as subjective cognitive complaints do not imply that the person has or will get dementia.' Dr Sheona Scales, director of research at Alzheimer's Research UK, said the research 'adds to our understanding of how menopause may relate to brain health for women in later life', although it 'does not show that these women are more likely to go on to develop dementia'. 'Dementia is caused by diseases in the brain and while menopause could play a role in our brain health, we need more research to understand if and how this influences dementia risk,' she added. 'Some symptoms of menopause, like 'brain fog' or forgetfulness, are similar to early dementia symptoms. 'Long-term studies will be key to determining whether menopause-related changes have lasting implications and whether interventions like hormone replacement therapy could play a protective role. 'With women making up two-thirds of people in the UK living with dementia, it is crucial that we invest in research that explores why women are more at risk of developing the condition.'
The Independent
05-03-2025
- Health
- The Independent
Greater menopause symptoms linked to memory and thinking problems
Women who suffer greater menopause symptoms are more likely to experience memory and thinking problems as they age, research has suggested. Experts found that women who recalled a heavier burden of menopausal symptoms were more likely to report issues with memory, language and in areas such as planning, organisation and self-control. The findings suggest the menopausal phase could be important for assessing dementia risk, academics said, though more work is needed. Canadian researchers looked at data from 896 post-menopausal women whose average age was around 64. Their menopause symptoms started around the age of 49 on average. The women reported menopausal symptoms such as hot flushes, brain fog and mood swings. They were given a list of 11 symptoms, scoring them between zero to 10 based on how often they experienced them. Hot flushes were the most common, reported by 88% of the group, followed by night sweats. The study found that women who recalled more symptoms reported more problems with thinking, learning and memory. They also had more mild behavioural impairment symptoms, such as changes in personality, decreased motivation or impulse control issues. Researchers said the findings, published in the journal Plos One, 'suggest menopausal symptom burden may predict susceptibility to dementia'. They added: 'Greater menopausal symptom burden may be associated with greater cognitive and behavioural decline in later life, both risk markers of dementia. 'Estrogen-based hormone therapy may contribute to mitigating clinical symptoms, particularly behavioural symptoms.' The data used by researchers was taken from the Canadian Platform for Research Online to Investigate Health, Quality of Life, Cognition, Behaviour, Function, and Caregiving in Aging (CAN-PROTECT) study, which forms part of the PROTECT study, run by the University of Exeter and NHS. Professor Anne Corbett, of the University of Exeter and PROTECT study lead, said: 'Changes in cognitive function are part of the normal ageing process and are often nothing to worry about. 'However, we know that Alzheimer's disease starts long before diagnosis and identifying the earliest factors influencing its progression is crucial to helping people access the best treatment and support. 'This study suggests that the menopausal phase could be an important period for assessing dementia risk. 'However, it's important to note that dementia risk involves many different factors. 'It's difficult to know at this stage how much of an effect menopausal symptoms really have and more research is needed before we can say for certain whether menopause severity should be considered a major risk factor. 'What we do know is the best way to reduce our risk of dementia is to stay physically active, maintain a healthy weight and to manage other medical conditions.' Aimee Spector, a professor of clinical psychology of ageing at UCL, said: 'Whilst they found an association; there is no evidence that the menopause symptoms led to the cognitive changes and there could be many possible reasons why people with more menopause symptoms may experience more cognitive changes, such as depression or physical health conditions. 'I don't think that the study can tell us anything about menopause symptoms and the risk of dementia, as subjective cognitive complaints do not imply that the person has or will get dementia.' Dr Sheona Scales, director of research at Alzheimer's Research UK, said the research 'adds to our understanding of how menopause may relate to brain health for women in later life', although it 'does not show that these women are more likely to go on to develop dementia'. ' Dementia is caused by diseases in the brain and while menopause could play a role in our brain health, we need more research to understand if and how this influences dementia risk,' she added. 'Some symptoms of menopause, like 'brain fog' or forgetfulness, are similar to early dementia symptoms. 'Long-term studies will be key to determining whether menopause-related changes have lasting implications and whether interventions like hormone replacement therapy could play a protective role. 'With women making up two-thirds of people in the UK living with dementia, it is crucial that we invest in research that explores why women are more at risk of developing the condition.'
