Early menopause may increase risk of dementia later in life

Women entering menopause early, before the age of 40, are thought to be more likely to develop dementia of any type later in life compared to women who start menopause later in life, on average menopause-onset 50 to 51 years old, according to a preliminary study published in the U.

"Our study found that women who entered menopause prematurely had a greater risk of developing dementia later in life," said Wenting Hao, MD, a doctoral student at Shandong University in Jinan, China

Dementia involves serious changes in the brain that impair a person's ability to remember, make decisions and use language

In the current study, researchers analyzed the potential relationship between age at menopause and a diagnosis of dementia of any cause

The researchers identified diagnoses of all types of dementia, including Alzheimer's, vascular dementia and other causes of dementia

The analysis found:

• Women who entered menopause before age 40 were 35 percent more likely to be diagnosed with dementia

  
  

• Women who entered menopause before age 45 were 1.

  
  

• Women who entered menopause over the age of 52 had similar rates of dementia as women who entered menopause at the average age of menopause (50 to 51 years)

  
  

Although postmenopausal women are at greater risk of stroke than premenopausal women, and that stroke disrupts blood flow to the brain and can lead to vascular dementia, the researchers did not find a link between age at menopause and vascular dementia risk in this study.

"Dementia is preventable, and there are many ways women who experience early menopause can reduce their risk of dementia

The researchers believe that declining estrogen levels may be a factor in a possible link between early menopause and dementia

"We know that chronic estrogen deficiency increases oxidative stress, which may accelerate brain aging and lead to cognitive impairment," Hao said

Health care clinicians caring for women should be aware of women's age at menopause and closely monitor those who reach menopause before age 45 for cognitive decline

"Further studies are needed to assess the added value of using the time of menopause as a predictor of existing dementia models," Hao said

This study has several limitations