Early surgical menopause in women is associated with impaired memory and thinking abilities.

This is stated in a review of a new study to be presented at the 65th annual meeting of the American Academy of Neurology in San Diego.

Recall that surgical menopause is the premature termination of the production of sex hormones, which is caused by the removal of both ovaries (oophorectomy).

The reasons for ovarian removal may be different, including malignant and benign tumors of the female reproductive system. When a surgeon removes the ovaries, the synthesis of estrogen in the body of a woman completely stops.

A new American study has proved the relationship between oophorectomy and the subsequent decline in cognitive abilities in women. It was also found that women who underwent hormone replacement therapy (HRT) after surgery were less prone to cognitive impairment.

The author of the study, Dr. Riley Bove, a member of the AAN and an employee of the Harvard School of Medicine in Boston, stated the following: "We found a clear link between surgical menopause and a decrease in cognitive abilities in patients, and this decrease was less noticeable in the background of hormone replacement therapy. Since HRT is now available everywhere, we have raised the issue of using this therapy to prevent the reduction of mental capacity in women after oophorectomy ".

During the study, scientists tried to understand how reproductive factors affect the intellect. Today, there is ample evidence that the deficiency of estrogen in the body of a woman leads to a decrease in memory and cognitive abilities.

Scientists examined 1,837 women aged 53 to 100 years, one in three of whom underwent oophorectomy that caused premature menopause. Data were recorded on the duration of the menstrual cycle, the age of onset of the first menstruation, and the duration of HRT after surgery. Scientists conducted tests for cognitive ability, and in 500 cases, patients had to do a brain biopsy to understand the cause of the disorders.

It turned out that the earlier the operation was performed, the faster the women lost their cognitive abilities. It also depended on the educational level and bad habits (smoking).

The main news is that in women after natural menopause, there was no sharp decrease in intelligence.

Despite convincing results of the study, it is also necessary to conduct extensive additional work so that it is possible to reliably recommend HRT for the prevention of cognitive impairment.

Dr. Bove concluded the article with these words: "Our study guarantees a growing interest in the problem, especially in connection with the gradual aging of the population".

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