Healthy Living

Study Attempts to Connect the Dots Between Menopause and Alzheimer's

According to a study, there is a correlation between menopause and Alzheimer's disease that involves the changes in the metabolic system, such as the loss of estrogen, increasing the chance of developing Alzheimer's. Apparently, menopause is actually the second major risk factor, after old age, for developing the disease. As menopause affects a majority of the world's population, there is still much that is not known about it. One question that many have is why does menopause affect mood, memory, and concentration in the way that it does for many patients?

Dr. Lisa Mosconi, who is the lead author of the study and from Weill Cornell Medicine, set out to investigate the link between the two, especially since Alzheimer's sufferers are two-thirds of women. It has been unknown how the two are exactly related, but there have been several other studies linking both menopause and dementia.

Misdiagnosed with Alzheimer's for a Decade

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The women in the study were all between the ages of 40 and 60--15 of them being premenopausal, 14 perimenopausal, and 14 postmenopausal. Dr. Mosconi looked at how the brain metabolizes sugar specifically, and her team used positron emission tomography imaging technology to examine how the brains of the participants' brain cells metabolize glucose.

Blood sugar levels and Alzheimer's disease

Compared to those who were premenopausal, those who were experiencing menopause and after were found to have significantly lower levels of glucose in their metabolism. This directly links menopause to lower glucose metabolism levels, and previous research also reported in Medical News Today showed that low levels of glucose precede and could even trigger the onset of the disease.

Researchers also found signs of cellular dysfunction in perimenopausal and postmenopausal participants, meaning "their brain cells were not as efficient at processing energy." Their "mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase, a key metabolic enzyme, was found to be less abundant" in menopausal women while scoring lower on tests relating to memory. Findings revealed menopause is linked to an increase in the beta-amyloid protein, a biomarker of Alzheimer’s disease, in their brains as well.

Women's loss of estrogen

The authors of the study suggest that estrogen deficiency that characterizes menopause may also be responsible for the neurodegeneration that occurs with Alzheimer’s disease. Dr. Mosconi said her research showed the loss of estrogen in menopause does not just eliminate fertility completely, which also means that there is a loss of key neuroprotective elements in the female brain and a higher risk to the brain in regards to aging and Alzheimer’s disease. Brain cells have estrogen receptors and a drop in estrogen production may cause a starvation reaction in those cells, leading to brain cell dysfunction.

Dr. Mosconi’s study proves that women in their 40’s need medical attention before any neurological symptoms or endocrine symptoms occur. This gives medical doctors and women a window of opportunity to apply strategies to reduce their risk of neurological symptoms. Strategies like increased antioxidants to protect women’s brain activity and strategies to maintain estrogen levels. She also suggests flaxseed and exercise to help maintain healthy levels.

Cindy’s story

Cindy is a 52 year old mother of two from Pennsylvania. She said she started to notice little things at first, like starting a sentence and then forgetting where she was going with her thought. Then she started to forget her own daughter's name, then after that, her work dubbed her as the "sticky not queen" because she was always writing things down so she wouldn't forget them.

She knew that she was going through menopause, but she did not realize that there could be an actual link between menopause and dementia. She started to research the two and found several similarities. But first, she freaked out and that is exactly what she should not have done. Just because you notice a little memory loss does not mean you are developing early-onset Alzheimer’s.

She found some common symptoms of dementia included: memory loss, difficulty in communicating, inability to learn new information, difficulty with planning and organizing, difficulty with coordination or motor functions, personality changes, inability to reason, inappropriate behavior, paranoia, agitation, and hallucinations.

Then she looked at common symptoms of Alzheimer’s: memory loss affecting day to day function, difficulty performing familiar tasks, problems with language, disorientation of time or place, poor judgment, problems thinking abstractly, misplacing things, changes in mood, changes in personality and loss of initiative.

Then, she looked at menopause symptoms: missed periods, hot flashes, weight gain, insomnia, mood swings, migraines, loss of interest, and incontinence.

She realized that in her case this was just menopause, for now. But this new research has her visiting her doctor on a regular basis and increasing antioxidants in her diet while exercising four times a week in hopes to ward off any signs of early-onset Alzheimer's, and She has also started to exercise four times a week in hopes to ward off any sign of early Alzheimer’s disease.

So what’s normal?

Reduction in hormone levels during menopause causes normal forgetfulness to occur. Estrogen plays a major part in regulating brain chemicals and nervous system functioning. As estrogen levels decrease, occasional lapses in brain function happen, resulting in short term memory loss. A decrease in estrogen can also lead to other symptoms of normal menopause-like: anxiety, depression, hot flashes, insomnia, and memory problems.

How to improve memory

Clinical studies have suggested replacing hormones, before and during early menopause, may help to reverse the symptoms of memory loss. You should discuss hormone replacement therapy (HRT) with your doctor if you notice any signs of memory problems.

HRT is a short term solution used to slow some of the major changes in a woman's body during menopause. Changes and symptoms like forgetfulness, hot flashes, night sweats, and mood swings. Estrogen is the first choice for HRT and sometimes progesterone is added in. HRT can also increase bone strength, which happens with age.

Estrogen is only a short term solution because it can have negative side effects like heart disease, stroke, blood clots and it can also increase a woman’s risk for breast cancer.

Whether or not you decide on HRT, there are several at-home methods you can use to improve memory. Try to challenge your brain with crossword puzzles, playing an instrument, reading, writing, or learning a new language. Stress-reducing activities are also good for memory and brain function. Try yoga, meditation, or tai chi to help relieve any negative thoughts that you may be feeling.

All in all, getting enough rest, regular exercise, and eating healthy can boost your overall health which can in turn improve memory.

When to ask for help

There are several symptoms of early-onset Alzheimer’s that should raise an alarm if you experience them they include:

Routine of lack of judgment
Inability to pay bills or handle money
Forgetting the day of the week, month or season
Having trouble holding a normal conversation
Losing items on a regular basis and not being able to find them
New problems with speaking or writing

You should see your doctor right away if you experience any of those symptoms. If you detect serious mental problems early you have a better chance of living a fuller and healthier life.

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Key Takeaways

According to a study, there is a correlation between menopause and Alzheimer's disease.
This involves the changes in the metabolic system, such as the loss of estrogen, increasing the chance of developing Alzheimer's.
Menopause is actually the second major risk factor, after old age, for developing the disease.