Women more likely to have dementia than men, Cambridge study finds
Almost 125,000 women took part in the research
A study led by researchers in Cambridge into dementia could give us better understanding of the need for earlier treatment, one of its co-authors has said.
Experts from the University of Cambridge carried out a study on 124,780 women to examine the effects of menopause on the brain and whether hormone replacement therapy (HRT) plays a role in preventing cognitive decline.
The menopause is linked to a loss of grey matter in the brain, which may help explain why women are more likely to suffer dementia than men.
Brain grey matter is vital for mental functions, memory, emotions and movement, and menopause can also bring on anxiety, depression and sleep problems.
"I think one of the important factors is starting to understand that monitoring our brain health and wellbeing is just as important as monitoring our physical health," Dr Christelle Langley, from the University of Cambridge's department of psychiatry, said.
"Being able to understand our day-to-day mood fluctuations and sleep changes allows us to understand better when these might start to affect us.
"This is something we can go to healthcare providers with and start to look at early detection and treatment."
What did the study find?
The study found that post-menopausal women who were not on HRT had slower reaction times than those who had not reached menopause yet or who were on HRT.
However, there were no significant differences between all these three groups when it came to performance on memory tasks.
The study, published in the journal Psychological Medicine, looked at women who were pre-menopause, post-menopausal who had never used HRT, or post-menopausal who had used HRT.
Women answered questions in areas such as sleep and whether they suffered depression and anxiety, and some took part in cognitive tests such as on memory and reaction times.
"Other studies that have looked at dementia risk have noted those who go into menopause early are more likely to develop dementia, so it might be a case of being able to detect and treat earlier would have a huge benefit," Dr Langley said.
Women who've gone through menopause more tiredn
Around 11,000 women also underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans so experts could look at their brain structure.
The average age of onset of menopause among the women was 49 and those on HRT were also around that age when they started treatment.
Post-menopausal women were more likely to report insomnia, getting less sleep overall and feeling tired, the study found.
Those on HRT reported feeling the most tired of all three groups, even though they slept the same amount as women not on HRT.
Researchers found significant reductions in volume of grey matter in those women who were post-menopausal.
"As we age, our reaction times tend to get slower - it's just a part of the natural ageing process and it happens to both women and men," Dr Katharina Zuhlsdorff from the department of psychology at the University of Cambridge said.
"Menopause seems to accelerate this process, but HRT appears to put the brakes on, slowing the ageing process slightly."
Hope for the future
Dr Langley said researchers don't yet know the exact cause of dementia, but focussing on areas such as doing regular physical activity, a balanced diet, sleep hygiene and social engagement can reduce the risk.
But the study's co-author is also keen to reassure women not to worry.
"I think the fact more research is being done should bring hope that there will be more awareness and better treatments," she added.
"Unfortunately, those aren't available right now to those going through this now, but it's certainly something to be hopeful of in future."