Severe menopausal symptoms linked to cognitive impairment: an exploratory study

Objective: To evaluate the association between menopausal symptoms and cognitive decline in postmenopausal women. Methods: This was a subanalysis of a cross-sectional, observational study conducted among women attending gynecological consultations across nine Latin American countries. The survey involved late postmenopausal women who were asked to complete a general questionnaire and the Menopause Rating Scale (MRS) to assess menopausal symptoms, with the Montreal Cognitive Assessment used to evaluate cognitive function as an outcome. A Montreal Cognitive Assessment score of less than 21 was used to define women with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Results: The study included 1,287 postmenopausal women with a mean age of 55.5 years and a mean body mass index of 26.3 kg/m2 . On average, participants had 13.8 years of education and 2.3 ± 1.8 children, with 72.8% reporting having a partner. Additionally, 36.7% ever used menopausal hormone therapy. Regarding lifestyle factors, 50.3% engaged in a sedentary lifestyle, whereas 70.5% had never smoked. 15.3% of women had MCI exhibited significantly more intense menopausal symptoms compared with those without MCI (MRS total score 15.24 ± 12.58 vs 10.53 ± 8.84, respectively, P < 0.001). Logistic regression analysis revealed a significant association between severe menopausal symptoms (MRS total score ≥14 points) and MCI (odds ratio [OR], 1.74; 95% CI, 1.25-2.42). Conversely, a lower body mass index (OR, 0.96; 95% CI, 0.95-0.98), sexual activity (OR, 0.70; 95% CI, 0.51-0.96), physical exercise (OR, 0.55; 95% CI, 0.39-0.76), menopausal hormone therapy use (OR, 0.36; 95% CI, 0.24-0.55), and higher educational level (OR, 0.31; 95% CI, 0.21-0.46) were associated with lower odds for MCI. Conclusion: Severe menopausal symptoms in postmenopausal women were associated with cognitive impairment. This study highlights the intricate interplay between hormonal, lifestyle, and sociodemographic factors and cognitive health.

• Autores: Calle, Andrés; Blümel, Juan E.; Chedraui, Peter; Vallejo, María S.; Belardo, Alejandra; Dextre, Maribel; Elizalde-Cremonte, Alejandra; Escalante, Carlos; Espinoza, María T.; Gómez-Tabares, Gustavo; Monterrosa-Castro, Alvaro; Ñañez, Mónica; Ojeda, Eliana; Rey, Claudia; Rodríguez, Doris; Rodrigues, Marcio A.; Salinas, Carlos; Tserotas, Konstantinos; Aedo, Sócrates
• Tipo de recurso: Article of journal
• Fecha de publicación: 2024
• Institución: Universidad de Cartagena
• Repositorio: Repositorio Universidad de Cartagena
• OAI Identifier: oai:repositorio.unicartagena.edu.co:11227/19385
• Acceso en línea: https://hdl.handle.net/11227/19385
• Palabra clave: 3. Ciencias Médicas y de la Salud; Terapia hormonal para la menopausia; Síntomas de la menopausia; Escala de evaluación de la menopausia; Deterioro cognitivo leve; Evaluación cognitiva de Montreal; Menopausal hormone therapy; Menopause Rating Scale; Mild cognitive impairment; Montreal Cognitive Assessment.; ODS 3: Salud y bienestar. Garantizar una vida sana y promover el bienestar de todos a todas las edades
• Rights: openAccess
• License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/