Earlier age at menopause may be associated with faster cognitive decline, a study published in JAMA Network Open suggests.
The research included about 2600 older women who were enrolled in the Religious Orders Study or the Rush Memory and Aging Project, cohorts with up to 18 years of follow-up. The nuns and community-dwelling females had no known dementia at enrollment and underwent yearly clinical evaluations and neuropsychological testing. Earlier age at menopause was linked to faster declines in both global cognition and episodic memory, as well as earlier Alzheimer disease onset. In women who experienced spontaneous menopause, as opposed to surgical, earlier menopause age was also associated with faster white matter hyperintensity volume accumulation. Having experienced spontaneous menopause 5 years earlier was associated with about 15% more white matter hyperintensity volume over 10 years.
The findings indicate that menopause may have long-term connections to structural and functional neurological outcomes, the researchers said. They added that age at menopause may serve as a marker for dementia risk stratification and early intervention.
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