Average age of the menopause is 51 , when women run out of eggs
British study last year found one in 20 had gone through early menopause
Oestrogen loss means protection is lost against heart disease and bones
Young women who go through the menopause have a higher risk of suffering ‘brain fog’, warn researchers
Young women who go through the menopause have a higher risk of suffering ‘brain fog’, warn researchers.
A study shows they appear to have more trouble with many cognitive functions including memory and coordination.
In the UK, the average age of the menopause is 51 years, when women’s ovaries run out of eggs and they can no longer have children.
A British study last year found one in 20 women had gone through an early menopause, which can occur from the teens onwards.
There may be no medical reason, or it may be caused by medical treatment including hysterectomy.
The loss of oestrogen means women lose their natural protection against heart disease and thinning bones.
But premature menopause may have long-term deleterious effects on brain function, says a new study in BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology.
Almost 5,000 post-menopausal women were given cognitive tests at the start of the study and then after two, four and seven years.
Around 7.6 per cent of the women in the study had a premature menopause and a further 13 per cent had an early menopause between 41 and 45 years. Over a fifth of the women used hormone treatment (HRT) during the menopause.
In comparison to women going through the menopause after 50, those with a premature menopause did worse on a range of brain function tests.
They were 40 per cent more likely to perform badly in verbal fluency and visual memory tests.
They were also 35 per cent more at risk of a decline in psychomotor speed, the coordination between the brain and the muscles that brings about movement, and overall cognitive function over 7 years.
Premature menopause may have long-term deleterious effects on brain function, says a new study in BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology
There was no greater risk of dementia.
HRT to alleviate the effects of premature menopause helped visual memory, but could increase the risk of poor verbal fluency.
Study leader Dr Joanne Ryan at the Hospital La Colombiere, Montpellier, said ‘Both premature surgical menopause and premature ovarian failure, were associated with long-term negative effects on cognitive function, which are not entirely offset by menopausal hormone treatment.’
Pierre Martin Hirsch, BJOG deputy editor-in-chief said ‘With the ageing population it is important to have a better understanding of the long term effects of a premature menopause on later-life cognitive function and the potential benefit from using menopausal hormone treatment.
‘This study adds to the existing evidence base to suggest premature menopause can have a significant impact on cognitive function in later life which healthcare professionals must be aware of.’
Source: Daily Mail
