May is National Women’s Health Month and at Entavida Functional Health we’re highlighting women’s brain health. Women make up 2/3 of individuals with Alzheimer’s disease, the most common form of dementia. Women are also twice as likely as men to be diagnosed with Alzheimer’s.
While this disparity was previously thought to be due to women living longer than men, recent research has shown that aging does not explain the difference. Alzheimer’s has traditionally been thought to be a disease of old age however it’s now clearly established that the brain changes leading to Alzheimer’s start decades before symptoms arise, making it a disease of mid-life.
The Menopause Connection
A key difference between men and women in midlife is the female menopausal transition that causes a significant decrease in estrogen, which is now considered to be a brain hormone. Research has shown that peri- and post-menopausal women have lower glucose metabolism, reduced brain volume and more amyloid plaque deposition in their brains, all of which are hallmarks of Alzheimer’s.
One of the hallmarks of menopause is a drastic decrease in levels of estrogen, which regulates glucose metabolism in the brains of women. Advanced imaging techniques have shown that, in parts of the brain regulated by the hormone, there is a greater density of estrogen receptors in peri- and post-menopausal women.
That increased density was correlated with memory problems, suggesting that the brain becomes “hormone hungry” in an effort to maintain its estrogen supply during peri- and post-menopause.
For more insights on how menopause affects other vital functions, you can explore our blog on the pelvic floor and menopause.
Supporting Brain Health Through Hormone Balance
Supporting a woman’s estrogen production prior to the menopausal transition and evaluating for hormone replacement during perimenopause and later into menopause are key strategies for supporting women’s brain health.
This is a foundational aspect of Entavida’s Retain Your Brain program. For more information on how you can support optimal brain health or to see if Entavida’s Retain Your Brain program is right for you, click the link to schedule a free Discovery Consult.
In an upcoming series of blog posts I‘ll be describing how hormones impact Arteries, Bones and Cognition: The ABCs of Healthy Aging. In addition, I’ll be busting the myths around hormone replacement therapy.
For a deeper dive into these topics, you can also explore our new video collection, Longevity and Healthy Aging, now available on the LYT Daily platform. This collection offers practical insights and actionable strategies to support healthy aging from the inside out.
Check out the video collection here.
