Year: 2025 | Month: February | Volume: 12 | Issue: 2 | Pages: 1-7
DOI: https://doi.org/10.52403/ijrr.20250201
Menopause and Risk of Cognitive Impairment - A Literature Review
Brilliant Tantomo, M.D.1, I Putu Eka Widyadharma, M.D., Ph. D2
1Biomedical Anti-Aging Medicine Master Program, 2Department of Neurology,
Faculty of Medicine, Udayana University, Denpasar 80324, Bali, Indonesia.
Corresponding Author: Brilliant Tantomo, M.D.
ABSTRACT
The World Health Organization (WHO) defines menopause as the permanent cessation of menstruation due to a decrease in ovarian activity without physiological or pathological causes. Twelve months of amenorrhea signal menopause. Menopause usually begins around 50 but can occur at 41, 45, or 40. Menopause between 45 and 55 is different from early menopause. Women are more likely to have cardiovascular illness, parkinsonism, melancholy, osteoporosis, hypertension, weight gain, midlife diabetes, cognitive impairments, and dementia, including Alzheimer's disease (AD). When estrogen levels drop prematurely, women are more likely to acquire certain disorders. Experimental and epidemiological studies suggests that female sex hormones have neuroprotective and anti-aging effects over time. According to new research, estrogen protects and promotes the CNS. Working memory, attention, processing speed, and verbal memory are lower in menopausal women. Age-related estrogen may protect cognition. Estrogens improve brain health by regulating neuropeptides, neurotransmitters, and neurosteroid production, affecting cell death, neuronal development, synaptic plasticity, mitochondrial function, antioxidants, immune system modulation, and β-amyloid reduction. Sex hormone prescriptions ease cognitive impairments in early menopause when estradiol and estrogen receptor levels diminish. The selective estrogen receptor modulators tamoxifen and raloxifene interact with ERα, ERβ, and GPR30 to protect the brain.
Keywords: Aging; Cognitive impairment; Estrogen; Menopause
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