Menopause linked to Alzheimer's-like brain changes
BBC • • general
Key Points:
- A large UK study involving nearly 125,000 women found that menopause is linked to loss of grey matter in brain regions associated with memory and emotion, similar to changes seen in Alzheimer's disease.
- The affected brain areas include the hippocampus, entorhinal cortex, and anterior cingulate cortex, which are crucial for learning, memory, spatial navigation, attention, and emotion regulation.
- Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) did not prevent grey matter loss, and women on HRT were more likely to report poor mental health, though this may reflect pre-existing conditions.
- Researchers suggest menopause-related brain changes could partly explain why women have nearly twice the risk of dementia compared to men, but long-term studies are needed to
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