Menopause International > Volume 15, Number 1 > Pp. 41-44

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Henderson, V. W Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Social Bookmarking                      What's this?

Clinical practice

Menopause, cognitive ageing and dementia: practice implications

Victor W Henderson 

Departments of Health Research and Policy (Epidemiology) and of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA

Correspondence: Victor W Henderson, MD, MS, Departments of Health Research and Policy (Epidemiology) and of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University, 259 Campus Drive, HRP Redwood Building, Stanford, CA 94305-5405, USA. Email: vhenderson{at}stanford.edu
Episodic memory is affected by cognitive ageing, and memory impairment beyond that expected on the basis of usual ageing may be an early indicator of Alzheimer's disease. Although memory complaints are common in midlife, it is reassuring that the natural menopausal transition is unaccompanied by objective memory loss. Less is known about memory after surgical menopause. Estrogen-containing hormone therapy initiated during the late postmenopause increases dementia risk and does not improve memory. It is unclear whether hormone use during the menopausal transition or early postmenopause affects Alzheimer risk. Observational studies imply a protective association consistent with the so-called critical window hypothesis, but these findings could be biased. Clinical practice implications are presented.

Key Words: Alzheimer's disease • cognitive ageing • dementia • memory • estrogen • hormone therapy

CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    What's this?