The Houston Chronicle ran an interesting story the other day that addresses a number of common perceptions about menopause. The one that caught our attention is:
The hormonal changes of menopause turn your brain to mush.
Unproven. There is some evidence that women with low estrogen levels experience faster cognitive decline, and women who take estrogen supplements sometimes do better on certain memory tests. But the evidence is inconsistent. According to the Women’s Health Initiative, women older than 65 who took Prempro had a higher risk of getting Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia than women taking dummy pills. Other studies, however, have suggested that estrogen use protects against Alzheimer’s if it’s started near the onset of menopause. Some experts now believe estrogen can protect both the brain and the heart if it’s started early, before age-related deterioration sets in, but not after that window of opportunity closes.
[Read more…] about Menopause and Brain Fitness — Crisis or Just Change?
