women who are going through menopause before the age of 40 are at greater risk of experiencing cognitive impairment at two years, according to a recent study based on longitudinal data of the longitudinal English Study of Ageing (Elsa). The investigation, published in April 2025, analyzed more than four thousand 700 women and four thousand 200 men, and found that early menopause could act as an independent risk factor, even after adjusting by depressive symptoms and other modifiable variables associated with the development of Dementia.
The investigation classified age at the time of menopause in three groups: before the age of 40, between 40 and 49 years, and from 50. The results showed that women who crossed menopause before the age of 40 had lower scores in temporal and spatial orientation, as well as in immediate and deferred memory. A lower verbal fluidity in this group was also observed, compared to those who reached menopause later.
This pattern was independent of the depressive symptoms present at the beginning of the study, which suggests that early menopause could directly affect cognitive health. In contrast, women who had menopause after 50 showed a better performance in these tests than men, which also indicates relevant sexual differences in risk profiles.
Depression influences
It is known that early menopause increases the risk of depression, and that this, in turn, is strongly linked to cognitive deterioration. Therefore, the research team adjusted the analysis for this variable, in order to determine whether the age of menopause had an independent effect.
The results confirmed that yes: even after controlling depression and other lifestyle factors, the association between early menopause and less cognitive performance remained. This relationship suggests the possible involvement of more complex biological mechanisms, such as the prolonged reduction of estrogen levels, which has known functions in the brain related to memory, synapse and stress regulation.
The study also analyzed the use of substitute hormonal therapy (THS), a frequent intervention in menopausal women. However, a positive association between the use of THS and a better cognitive function was not observed. In fact, some data suggest that starting therapy before the natural moment of menopause could even be associated with more intense depressive symptoms, although these findings require more research.
On the contrary, some reproductive factors were identified that did show a relationship with better cognitive results: a longer duration of the reproductive period and a greater number of living births were associated with better immediate memory and verbal fluidity.
Source: digital media
VTV/DR/DS
