New research published in body text” data-vars-click-url=”https://journals.lww.com/menopausejournal/abstract/9900/severe_menopausal_symptoms_linked_to_cognitive.365.aspx”>Menopause, the journal of body text” data-vars-click-url=”https://www.menopause.org/”>The Menopause Society, found a possible link between severe menopause symptoms (including body text” data-vars-click-url=”https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/hot-flashes/symptoms-causes/syc-20352790″>hot flashes and body text” data-vars-click-url=”https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/depression/symptoms-causes/syc-20356007″>depression) and cognitive function in postmenopausal people. The study’s authors say their findings may help illustrate the complicated relationship between hormonal, lifestyle, and other factors involved in health/” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener” referrerpolicy=”no-referrer-when-downgrade” data-vars-event=”body text” data-vars-click-url=”https://www.wellandgood.com/living-well-brain-health/”>brain health as we age.
Read on to learn more about the study findings, the relationships between menopause and brain health, and how to keep your brain in tip-top shape in menopause and beyond.
What this recent study found
In the study, researchers included nearly 1,300 late-postmenopausal people from nine Latin American countries. Each person received menopause treatment in private medical clinics and filled out several questionnaires, including something called the body text” data-vars-click-url=”https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC516787/”>Menopause Rating Scale. After gathering the data, researchers found that 15.3 percent had mild cognitive impairment (e.g., memory and concentration issues). These people also reported more intense menopause symptoms—including hot flashes, sleep, and mood disturbances—compared to those who did not demonstrate cognitive impairment.
Previous body text” data-vars-click-url=”https://www.neurology.org/doi/abs/10.1212/wnl.0b013e3181a71193″>medical research has explored temporary effects of estrogen loss on brain function during menopause and immediately post-menopause, says body text” data-vars-click-url=”https://www.drstreicher.com/about”>Lauren Streicher, MD, an OB/GYN and founder of the body text” data-vars-click-url=”https://sexmedmenopause.nm.org/”>Northwestern Medicine Center for Sexual Medicine and Menopause. But this study stands out for exploring the possible longer-term effects, she adds. “The real question is: What do we know about cognitive function [during menopause] later on?”
Experts agree that not every menopausal person with hot flashes, sleep disruptions, mood swings, or even brain fog caused by estrogen dips will have body text” data-vars-click-url=”https://www.alz.org/alzheimers-dementia/what-is-dementia”>dementia or other cognitive issues in the future. The new research simply highlights the possibility of an increased risk, not an exact cause. In other words, this research is an important, exploratory step as medical experts seek to better understand the connections between menopause, lifestyle choices, and brain health.
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“Identifying this possible association between severe menopausal symptoms with cognitive impairment can and should be an incentive to continue in this line of research in search of alternatives that improve the health of menopausal women in all aspects,” body text” data-vars-click-url=”https://drandrescalle.com/”>Andrés Calle, MD, an OB/GYN, research director at body text” data-vars-click-url=”https://www.uce.edu.ec/”>Central University of Ecuador, and lead author of the Menopause study, stated in the study’s release.
5 ways to protect your brain during and after menopause
While the underlying mechanisms connecting menopause symptoms and cognitive function aren’t completely understood yet, there is some good news here. The Menopause study suggested there are plenty of ways to be proactive when it comes to maintaining brain fitness through menopause and beyond.
“All the stuff we talk about as being good for health/” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener” referrerpolicy=”no-referrer-when-downgrade” data-vars-event=”body text” data-vars-click-url=”https://www.wellandgood.com/living-well-heart-health/”>heart health is also good for brain health,” says body text” data-vars-click-url=”https://www.mayo.edu/research/faculty/faubion-stephanie-s-m-d-m-b-a/bio-20199366″>Stephanie Faubion, MD, an OB/GYN, medical director of The Menopause Society, and director of the health-research-center” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener” referrerpolicy=”no-referrer-when-downgrade” data-vars-event=”body text” data-vars-click-url=”https://www.mayo.edu/research/centers-programs/womens-health-research-center”>Mayo Clinic Center for Women’s health. “Those same vessels that are important for your heart are important for your brain health. The dots are all connected here.”
That said, here are five changes you can make to your routine to nurture your brain and heart:
1. Make healthy lifestyle choices
It should come as little surprise that taking care of your body as a whole will help your brain, too. This includes eating more nutritious and wholesome foods, getting daily exercise, maintaining a healthy weight for your body size, and making sure things like your blood pressure and cholesterol levels are all within a healthy range—which can help keep your body text” data-vars-click-url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/mesh?Db=mesh&Cmd=DetailsSearch&Term=%22Vasomotor+System%22%5BMeSH+Terms%5D”>vasomotor system (i.e., a part of your health/topics/neuro/conditioninfo/parts” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener” referrerpolicy=”no-referrer-when-downgrade” data-vars-event=”body text” data-vars-click-url=”https://www.nichd.nih.gov/health/topics/neuro/conditioninfo/parts”>nervous system that can lead to hot flashes in menopause when unbalanced) stable.
Additionally, if you smoke, try to quit to improve your overall health. And try to work toward reducing your alcohol intake: The average recommended amount is one drink per day or less, per the body text” data-vars-click-url=”https://www.cdc.gov/alcohol/about-alcohol-use/moderate-alcohol-use.html”>Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
All of these self-care steps go a long way toward overall wellness—including improved brain function during menopause.
2. Lower your stress
For many, menopause can be a time of both personal and hormonal transitions. Caring for aging parents, launching children into adulthood, and tending to a career can all be overwhelming and lead to stress, anxiety, and body text” data-vars-click-url=”https://www.who.int/news/item/28-05-2019-burn-out-an-occupational-phenomenon-international-classification-of-diseases”>burnout. Try to lower your mental load by practicing body text” data-vars-click-url=”https://www.wellandgood.com/physical-ways-relieve-stress/”>stress-relief techniques: This could include a body text” data-vars-click-url=”https://www.wellandgood.com/mindfulness-vs-meditation-practice/”>mindfulness practice, meditation, or even a quick self-led yoga session. These activities are scientifically proven to be body text” data-vars-click-url=”https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7511255/”>effective methods4 for mitigating the effects of stress.
3. Try and learn new things
The Menopause study authors found that learning new things is a protective factor when it comes to staving off post-menopausal cognitive issues. This goes beyond cracking open a book like you did in school. Staying curious and attuned to the world around you can offer brain boosts, too—especially for memory and concentration. In other words, “stimulate your brain and try new things,” says Dr. Faubion. This could include learning a new language or instrument, taking an art class, or starting another hobby you’ve always wanted to try.
4. Get good sleep
sleep (both health/sleep/stages-of-sleep” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener” referrerpolicy=”no-referrer-when-downgrade” data-vars-event=”body text” data-vars-click-url=”https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/sleep/stages-of-sleep“>deep and sleep” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener” referrerpolicy=”no-referrer-when-downgrade” data-vars-event=”body text” data-vars-click-url=”https://www.cancer.gov/publications/dictionaries/cancer-terms/def/rem-sleep“>REM) gives you a much-needed refresh each night. If you’re not getting enough restorative, quality snooze-time, you’re risking a whole host of potential body text” data-vars-click-url=”https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7755475/”>neurological complications long-term—including dementia and cognitive decline. If your sleep-hygiene/” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener” referrerpolicy=”no-referrer-when-downgrade” data-vars-event=”body text” data-vars-click-url=”https://www.wellandgood.com/what-is-sleep-hygiene/”>sleep hygiene routine needs help, now is the time to address it, for your brain’s sake. The recommendation is to get anywhere from health/sleep/how-much-sleep” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener” referrerpolicy=”no-referrer-when-downgrade” data-vars-event=”body text” data-vars-click-url=”https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/sleep/how-much-sleep“>7 to 9 hours per night.
5. Try hormone therapy
Last but certainly not least, there is body text” data-vars-click-url=”https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/menopause/in-depth/hormone-therapy/art-20046372″>hormone therapy to consider—which is often supplemental estrogen that comes in the form of pills, patches, creams, or sprays. While the study in Menopause didn’t determine if treating hot flashes with hormone therapy could help improve cognition function later in life, experts say it’s well worth considering if symptoms are adversely affecting your day-to-day routine. “Treat those bothersome menopause symptoms,” says Dr. Faubion. “We hope that it will also help with brain health.”
While hormone therapy may not be ideal for everyone (i.e., people who’ve recently had body text” data-vars-click-url=”https://www.breastcancer.org/risk/risk-factors/using-hormone-replacement-therapy”>breast cancer or those with a body text” data-vars-click-url=”https://www.bhf.org.uk/informationsupport/support/women-with-a-heart-condition/menopause-and-heart-disease”>heart condition), ask your healthcare provider to see if it’s right for you.
When to see a healthcare provider
Cognitive decline can worsen as a result of menopause symptoms, although some people are simply more genetically predisposed to things like dementia or memory loss, regardless of menopause status. No matter what the root cause is, it’s worth bringing up issues like poor concentration, memory, or low mood to your healthcare provider, so you can be properly treated.
Also, menopause is a great time to take stock of your overall health and make certain adjustments if needed. Talk to your healthcare provider to discuss symptoms like hot flashes, review your blood work, and come up with a plan together that works for you and your health goals. And keep in mind: “Grinning and bearing it” through body text” data-vars-click-url=”https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/perimenopause/symptoms-causes/syc-20354666″>perimenopause—the precursor to menopause which can last years—isn’t necessary or advisable either now or for your future health, brain, or otherwise.
“So many women think that hot flashes and other menopause symptoms are unpleasant but harmless,” says Dr. Streicher. “We now have an enormous amount of data that shows it’s not just about quality of life, it’s about length of life, it’s about being functional whether we’re talking about body text” data-vars-click-url=”https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/cardiovascular-disease”>cardiovascular disease or cognitive function.”
Well+Good articles reference scientific, reliable, recent, robust studies to back up the information we share. You can trust us along your wellness journey.
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McWhirter, Laura, et al. “What is brain fog?” Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry, vol. 94, no. 4, 6 Dec. 2022, pp. 321–325, https://doi.org/10.1136/jnnp-2022-329683. -
Calle, Andrés, et al. “Severe menopausal symptoms linked to cognitive impairment: An exploratory study.” Menopause, 13 Aug. 2024, https://doi.org/10.1097/gme.0000000000002422. -
Heinemann, Klaas et al. “The Menopause Rating Scale (MRS) scale: a methodological review.” health and quality of life outcomes vol. 2 45. 2 Sep. 2004, doi:10.1186/1477-7525-2-45 -
Greendale, G. A., et al. “Effects of the menopause transition and hormone use on Cognitive performance in midlife women.” Neurology, vol. 72, no. 21, 26 May 2009, pp. 1850–1857, https://doi.org/10.1212/wnl.0b013e3181a71193. -
Kriakous, Sarah Angela et al. “The Effectiveness of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction on the Psychological Functioning of Healthcare Professionals: a Systematic Review.” Mindfulness vol. 12,1 (2021): 1-28. doi:10.1007/s12671-020-01500-9 -
Bishir, Muhammed et al. “sleep Deprivation and Neurological Disorders.” BioMed research international vol. 2020 5764017. 23 Nov. 2020, doi:10.1155/2020/5764017
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