Postmenopausal women have hyperintensities” in the brain that increase the risk of Alzheimer’s and stroke, study finds

Going through menopause can cause dangerous lesions to form in a woman's brain, potentially even increasing her risk of developing Alzheimer's disease, a new study finds.

Researchers at the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) found that menopausal women develop hyperintensities in the white matter of their brains - increasing their risk of developing a variety of diseases such as Alzheimer's or suffering a stroke.

Every woman will go through menopause at some point, and the study finds that once the process begins, their chances of developing these conditions increase significantly compared to men.

Women who undergo the process earlier may also develop the disease earlier in life than those who go through menopause later.

Women who have already gone through menopause have more hyperintensities in their brain, and the lesions put them at higher risk of cognitive decline (file photo)

"White matter hyperintensities increase as the brain ages, and while they do not mean a person will develop dementia or have a stroke, larger amounts can increase a person's risk," said Dr. Monique Breteler from the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE). ), in Bonn, said in a statement.

“Our results suggest that white matter hyperintensities develop differently in men and women, with menopause or factors that determine the onset of menopause, such as fluctuations in the aging process, being crucial factors.”

The researchers collected data from 3,410 people around the age of 54. More than half were women, and 60 percent of female participants had already gone through menopause.

A third of participants suffered from high blood pressure - with half of the cases classified as "uncontrolled".

Everyone was given an MRI brain scan to look for hyperintensities and other potential lesions of the brain matter.

Researchers found that women who had gone through menopause already had disproportionately more lesions in their brains.

Postmenopausal women had 30 percent more brain hyperintensities than men.

When adjusted for age, women who had already gone through menopause had 51 percent more hyperintensities than a woman of the same age who was still going through the process.

It has long been reported that some women experience cognitive decline during menopause (file photo).

“The results of our study not only show that more research is needed to examine how menopause may be related to brain vascular health,” said Breter.

"They also demonstrate the need to consider different health trajectories between men and women, as well as menopausal status. Our research highlights the importance of gender-specific medicine and more attentive therapy for older women, particularly those with vascular risk factors."

The researchers also found a connection between higher blood pressure levels and more hyperintensities.

“It is known that high blood pressure, which affects the small blood vessels in the brain, can lead to an increase in white matter hyperintensity,” Breteler added.

According to a Brazilian, women often self-report symptoms of cognitive decline when they enter menopause, with almost half of women reporting symptoms learn from 2021.

A 2020 Vanderbilt University learn found the same thing, with Dr. Paul Newhouse, a lead researcher, said: "These findings are important for women's health and contribute to our understanding of why some women are at increased risk of developing Alzheimer's disease compared to men."

Exactly why this is the case has never been clarified, but with this study, experts now have a solid foundation for future research.