Women's Health

Testosterone for Menopause May Offer Unexpected Benefits in the Bedroom

Menopause is a period of time in a woman’s life that is characterized by a lack of menstruation for 12 consecutive months. Menopause most commonly occurs sometime in women’s 40s or 50s. While being free from the inconveniences of having a monthly period may seem like a blessing, menopause can actually produce some uncomfortable, and sometimes even painful, symptoms. During menopause, it’s also not uncommon to experience a drop in libido or sexual desire. New research suggests testosterone for menopause may help increase women’s sexual health while also boosting libido. This latest study brings hope for women who want to live full, satisfying lives into their 50s and beyond.

Symptoms of Menopause

Menopause is most commonly associated with symptoms like hot flashes, mood swings and night sweats, so it may be surprising to learn that menopause also raises the risk of bone loss and of developing osteoporosis. Since the lower estrogen levels in the body that accompany menopause affect calcium levels in the bones, the bones become more brittle and lose volume. As a result, bone fractures become more likely in menopause and women’s bones, especially in the hip and spine, are more prone to breaks. A condition of weakened bones can persist for several years after the woman has experienced her last menstrual period.

Other common symptoms of menopause include:

hot flashes
vaginal dryness
chills
insomnia
night sweats
mood swings
slowed metabolism, which can result in unexpected weight gain
thinning hair or hair loss
dry skin
decreased breast volume

Menopause affects each person differently, and even women in the same family may have completely different experiences. The frequency and severity of symptoms will also differ, so effective methods of treating symptoms will also vary. Once you reach menopause, regularly consulting your doctor can help you better manage the condition.

Taking Testosterone for Menopause Boosts Libido and Helps Improve Sexual Health

While we primarily think of testosterone as a male hormone, it is also found in women. Along with estrogen, testosterone is one of the six hormones produced by the female reproductive system, and whose levels fall after menopause. Low testosterone levels can affect many aspects of life, including libido. This fact has led researchers to conduct a 12-week study that looked at the effects testosterone treatments would have on post-menopausal women.

Spread across 36 trials, the researchers studied reports on 8,480 subjects. The participants in the study were followed via patient records spanning a time period from 1990 through 2018. Some of the participants were given testosterone treatments, while another group received other hormone treatments such as estrogen. In a third group, subjects received placebos. By the end of the study, the researchers found that overall sexual health was improved in the majority of women who were receiving regular testosterone treatments.

Sexual health was just one aspect of overall health that was examined for changes in this study. The researchers also examined cognitive, cardiovascular, musculoskeletal and emotional health. Breast health, cholesterol and hair growth were also evaluated during the study.

The participants in the study who received the testosterone treatments reported having a greater number of satisfying sexual encounters. Additionally, they noted that their sexual interest, or libido, had also returned to more normal levels. They also said they experienced more orgasms. The feeling of awkwardness that may accompany sexual encounters was also affected by testosterone treatments. The subjects said they had an improved self-image of themselves, which gave them more confidence in the bedroom. Sexually related concerns that previously caused them to feel stressed about sex had also been resolved or diminished.

Susan Davis, who headed up the study and works out of Melbourne, Australia’s Monash University, said that using testosterone for menopause is about more than increasing the number of satisfying sexual encounters. She says it can create a greater sense of well-being that helps post-menopausal women have healthier sexual encounters. The lead researcher adds that more research is needed to confirm these findings. Although this study didn’t show an effect on bone density, cardiovascular health or other factors, Ms. Davis hopes continued research will show that testosterone benefits those aspects of health as well.

Natural Ways to Alleviate Symptoms of Menopause

While testosterone treatments may be used to help restore sexual health in post-menopausal women, there are more natural treatments that can alleviate the symptoms of menopause. Following are just a few options that you may want to try.

Eat the Right Foods

In general, studies have shown that a plant-based diet leads to better health, but certain veggies may specifically help promote healthier estrogen production. These foods include broccoli, kale, cabbage and other cruciferous foods. Some research suggests that high-fiber foods can also increase estrogen production.

Take a Daily Supplement

There are many vitamins and minerals that can affect the different symptoms of menopause. For instance, ginseng can affect sexual arousal, red clover may boost bone health or St. John’s Wort can be used to improve sleep and mood. Rather than trying to add a variety of supplements to your daily routine, try to find one high-quality supplement that includes a diverse range of vitamins and minerals. For instance, the natural supplement Menochron is specially engineered to help post-menopausal women alleviate certain symptoms of menopause.

Get More Exercise

Moderate- to high-intensity physical activity can help alleviate a number of symptoms of menopause. Specifically, getting a minimum of 30 minutes of exercise each day can help you sleep better, diminish anxiety and depression and improve bone density. Regular exercise will also help you control your weight, ensuring you’ll build more lean muscle mass.

Take Time to Relax

Alleviating stress is important for everyone, but it’s especially vital to the health of post-menopausal women. If you don’t find healthy ways to alleviate stress, you’ll be more prone to unhealthy eating habits, sleep disorders and drug or alcohol abuse. Look for activities you enjoy and those that you find relaxing. Try reading a book, taking a warm bath, meditating or practicing yoga.

If you’re concerned that you may be entering menopause, you should consult your doctor. Your doctor may recommend other treatments and lifestyle changes that will help alleviate your symptoms. In adopting healthier habits, you may find that the symptoms of menopause are more easily managed.

Common Antibacterial Chemical Linked to Osteoporosis

Jul 11 by Ewcopywriting

Throughout your lifetime, your body produces bone in order to maintain high bone density. However, with age, this process slows and bone loss can begin to outpace healthy bone production, resulting in a condition called osteoporosis. This condition can affect men, but it primarily affects older women as decreased levels of estrogen that accompany menopause contribute to the process. In women, estrogen helps protect the bones, but a deficiency causes bone growth to slow. With a new study showing a common antibacterial chemical linked to osteoporosis, looking for natural ways to boost bone health becomes a more pressing concern.

The Consequences of Osteoporosis

When a person develops osteoporosis, the health of their existing bones also becomes compromised. Since bone density is lost, the bones can become fragile and brittle. This is why people with osteoporosis are at a greater risk for fractures in the hips, spine and wrists. Although there are no observable symptoms of the condition, those who develop osteoporosis may exhibit a stooping of the spine. They may also experience bone pain as the condition worsens.

As previously mentioned, osteoporosis is most commonly the result of a decrease in estrogen levels in post-menopausal women. However, there are some lifestyle habits that can increase the risks of developing the condition. For instance, unhealthy eating habits deprive the body of essential vitamins and nutrients that help keep the bones strong and healthy. Additionally, smoking can also negatively impact bone health.

While there is no cure for osteoporosis, the condition can be treated by making lifestyle changes. Eating a healthier diet and taking certain dietary supplements can help strengthen the bones and slow the progression of the disease. Additionally, physical activity helps build body strength, including helping to stave off bone loss.

New Study Finds Common Chemical Linked to Osteoporosis

Triclosan, a chemical that was previously banned from use in antibacterial hand soap but can still be found in other personal care products like toothpaste, mouthwash and bar soap, has been found to pose serious health risks to millions of people in the way that it affects bone health. A recent study, which was conducted at China’s Hangzhou Medical College School of Public Health, sought to clarify why triclosan is so harmful to bone health.

The study drew data regarding adult women from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. The data was gathered via face-to-face interviews from 1,848 adult women of various ages. In evaluating the women, bone density was tested, osteoporosis markers were examined and urine was tested for triclosan.

The research team discovered that women with higher levels of triclosan in their urine also had more mineral loss in their bones. Similarly, those with lower triclosan levels had healthier bone density. These results were not found in younger women, which may suggest that the effect triclosan has on bone density is cumulative.

The next step in the study was to compare triclosan levels with the presence of osteoporosis, but there were only a limited number of subjects with the condition. Of the post-menopausal women, only seven were found to have osteoporosis. These women were evaluated in four regions of the body for the presence of triclosan, but the compound could not be linked to osteoporosis in three of those regions. Within the fourth region, the upper thigh area, triclosan was associated with the development of osteoporosis.

While the study did show a link between triclosan and osteoporosis, the evidence wasn’t as compelling as was expected at the start of the study. The research did confirm that triclosan affects bone density in some way, but the research team admitted that further studies would be needed to more fully prove this common chemical linked to osteoporosis. Going forward, the next step will be to confirm a causal relationship between the compound and the development of osteoporosis.

Natural Ways to Boost Bone Health

Trying to avoid products that contain triclosan is one step you can take to keep bones healthy, but there are also many more natural ways to boost bone health. Here are just a few ways you can promote better bone health and stave off the loss of bone density.

Eliminate Bad Habits

As previously discussed, smoking is harmful to bone health. In particular, it can prevent new bone growth by decreasing estrogen production. Drinking alcohol can also negatively affect bone health.

Increase Physical Activity

Exercise protects your bones in a number of ways. First, it helps to build muscle, which serves as a better protective layer over bones than fat tissue. Additionally, frequent exercise will help improve balance, range of motion and agility, which are all useful in helping to prevent falls.

Vitamin D and Calcium

If you remember the milk commercials from your childhood, you already know that calcium is essential to bone health and growth. Every adult should be consuming 1,000 mg of calcium daily, but women over 51 years should be getting 1,200 mg daily. Anyone over the age of 71 should also be getting a minimum of 1,200 mg of calcium a day. Your body also needs vitamin D, which is used to help absorb calcium. The best way to get vitamin D is through moderate sun exposure, though it can be also be found in dietary supplements.

Additional Supplements for Bone Health

There are a number of other vitamins, minerals and natural compounds that can help keep bones strong. For instance, a steady supply of magnesium will aid dietary calcium in promoting better bone strength. Magnesium is found in dark, leafy green vegetables, nuts and whole grains.

An adequate supply of vitamin K will also help bone strength by binding calcium to the bones. In regard to vitamin K, taking too much can be just as harmful as developing a deficiency. If you choose to take a vitamin K supplement and you are on blood thinners, talk to your doctor first.

Finally, methylsulfonylmethane, or MSM, can help treat the pain and discomfort associated with osteoporosis. It does this by reducing internal inflammation and alleviating joint pain. MSM has also been found to boost the health of the immune system, which may help protect against bone loss and other traits of osteoporosis.

The best way to add these vitamins to your daily diet may be to take a comprehensive, high-quality supplement designed to promote better bone health. While a healthy diet and plenty of exercise is always essential to overall health, taking a supplement can help ensure you get all of the vitamins, minerals and bone-building ingredients you need each day.

Optimism Lowers Type 2 Diabetes Risk

Jan 31 by Ewcopywriting

If you don’t have diabetes, you likely know someone who does have it — and you may even be at risk of developing the condition later in life. This is because diabetes is serious health concern that has become more common with the passage of time. When the Center for Disease Control started tracking the illness in 1958, they found that only one percent, or 500,000, people in the U.S. had been diagnosed with diabetes. By 2015, that percentage had risen to 9.4 percent of the U.S. population; a number which includes 30.2 million adults in addition to children affected by early development of the condition.

In the 20 year span from 1990 through 2010, the CDC calculated that the number of diabetics tripled. Additionally, they found that twice as many people were being diagnosed with the disease from one year to the next. While anyone can develop diabetes, the risks increase with age. The recent CDC report highlighted the percentage of people living with diabetes within each age group:

18-44 years – 4 percent
45-64 years – 17 percent
65 years and up – 25.2 percent

We already know that modifiable factors, such as eating habits, exercise and physical fitness, can affect the risks of developing diabetes. Conversely, there are risk factors, such as genetics, age and race, which cannot be changed. We’re learning more each year about how certain factors either raise or decrease the risks of developing diabetes. Now, a new study has revealed that one’s mindset also plays a part.

Can a Positive Attitude Affect Diabetes Risk?

Research has suggested that diabetes and depression are closely related. People who frequently experience the symptoms of depression are also more prone to develop incident-related diabetes. Individuals who report frequent feelings of cynicism or hostility have also been found to have a higher risk of developing diabetes. Additionally, studies revealed that these same emotions may also cause post-menopausal women to experience more severe metabolic syndrome symptoms.

While these previous studies examined the negative effects of emotions on physical health, a new study sought to evaluate how positive emotions affected diabetes. Researchers gathered data from the WHI (Women’s Health Initiative) in an effort to evaluate how strong positive emotions affected blood sugar levels in post-menopausal individuals. Juhua Luo, Ph.D., out of Bloomington’s Indiana University, was the senior author of the paper, which was recently published in Menopause magazine.

Dr. Luo and his team examined records for 139,924 subjects. The earliest records for these women indicated that each subject was post-menopausal and had not yet been diagnosed with diabetes. The study followed these subjects through clinical check-ups across a 14-year time span. By the end of the study, research showed that 19,240 of the women developed type 2 diabetes.

Going further, the research team separated the women by personality traits. In doing so, they found that women with a more optimistic mindset were 12 percent less likely to develop type 2 diabetes. Women with more negative emotions were found to have 9 percent greater risk of developing the illness, while those women shown to possess the most hostile emotions had a 17 percent higher risk of developing diabetes. The only factor that mitigated this increased risk was obesity: Overweight women were less affected by hostility and negative emotions when it came to diabetes risk.

This research also suggested that women who experience hostility and negative emotions throughout their lives may still reduce their risk of developing diabetes. By seeking out mental health treatment for frequent negative emotions, not only can women reduce their risks of diabetes, they can also improve their overall mindset.

Preventing or Reversing Type 2 Diabetes is Possible

The bottom line: If you really want to lower your diabetes risk, it’s necessary to make changes in your life now. While people are often born with type 1 diabetes, a condition in which your body isn’t making insulin, type 2 diabetes, a condition that involves your cells’ inability to properly process the insulin, develops over time and its development is often influenced by lifestyle choices.

Just as poor lifestyle habits can promote the onset of type 2 diabetes, healthier choices can help control or prevent the condition. The first step to take is to change your diet. Diabetes concerns your body’s inability to process sugar or glucose, so limiting your sugar intake is essential. In addition to the obvious sugary foods and beverages, you should also limit or eliminate your intake of refined carbs. Once ingested, refined carbs are broken down into sugars and stored for use, which causes a spike in blood sugar levels.

Additionally, you should be getting a sufficient level of exercise each day. Doctors recommend a minimum of moderate to high-intensity exercise in 30-minute daily intervals. The physical activity will increase insulin sensitivityin your body’s cells, making it easier for you to process glucose. While 30 minutes is recommended, getting more exercise will only help your body become more sensitive to insulin.

You might also consider taking a daily supplement to help maintain healthy blood sugar levels already within normal ranges. If you choose to add a supplement to your daily routine, look for one that provides ingredients such as chromium picolinate, vanadium and fenugreek.

Before making any lifestyle changes, it’s important to discuss your concerns with your doctor. He may have more recommendations for you that directly relate to your situation. Even when developing type 2 diabetes is not avoidable, making these lifestyle changes can help you live better with the condition.

The Little-Known Connection Between Melatonin and Fertility

Nov 26 by Ewcopywriting

Many people associate melatonin with sleep — with good reason. Helping to regulate and maintain the circadian rhythm appears to be the most important and best-known role of this pineal gland hormone. However, melatonin also plays a variety of other important roles in the human body. According to recent studies on melatonin and fertility, it may play a very important role in helping couples to conceive.

Infertility: A Growing Modern Problem

For reasons that doctors and scientists do not fully understand, an increasing number of people are struggling with infertility. Only one in six couples trying to conceive will be able to do so in a reasonable amount of time, generally defined as around a year.

Infertility has classically been seen as a female problem, but men are contributing increasingly to low pregnancy rates. Causes that can be attributed to the male are now behind around 30 percent of infertility cases. For reasons that are not completely understood, sperm counts around the world have dropped dramatically and are continuing to fall. An increasing number of couples are seeking IVF and other fertility treatments, making reproductive technology one of the fastest growing fields of medicine. Despite this medical assistance, birth rates in the developed world are below replacement rates and continuing to fall.

What is causing this decline in fertility? There are several hypotheses, including estrogens in the water supply, increased pollution of water and air, radiation from smart devices and a general inclination to wait until later in life to conceive. Regardless of the cause, several studies suggest that melatonin may be part of the answer.

Could Melatonin Affect Egg Quality?

The rise in in-vitro fertilization has allowed scientists to study in depth what factors make an egg healthier and more likely to successfully become an embryo. The life cycle of an egg is complex and extremely important to fertilization, making it a popular avenue of study in the fertility world. Eggs, or oocytes, spend most of a woman’s life dormant in her ovary. When stimulated, a single egg begins to mature and resumes cell division. It matures in a follicle until it is released. From here, it travels down the fallopian tube to the uterus, where it is hopefully fertilized. If a couple is undergoing IVF, the egg is instead harvested.

Melatonin fluids in follicular fluid have been found to predict the health of the future egg. Melatonin also appears to protect eggs from oxidative stress during the collection and fertilization process, which in turn improves the chances of successful fertilization and implantation.

Simply giving melatonin to women trying to conceive has been found to improve egg quality as well as increase the chances of a successful pregnancy. Although these are all small studies, they definitely suggest that melatonin is crucial to conceiving and carrying a pregnancy, especially for women struggling with infertility.

Melatonin and Fertility in Males

Melatonin is important to the fertility of women, but it also appears to play a role in the fertility of men. High melatonin levels have been linked to sperm quality in both living men and in storage for insemination. This appears to be partly due to melatonin’s role as an antioxidant, preventing damage to DNA in semen.

However, melatonin may play another role as well, one that is increasingly important in the modern world: protecting sperm from damage due to pollutants. For men who live in areas where water and air quality are affecting fertility rates, this could be an immense advantage.

Although melatonin alone cannot cure male infertility (that we know of, at least), it appears to have an important role in male fertility. Men who are on the borderline between infertility and conception may especially benefit from taking a nightly supplement or from taking care to keep their natural production of melatonin high.

Links Between Circadian Rhythm and Fertility

Many of these studies have been performed in-vitro, on eggs that are fertilized in dishes for use in IVF and other reproductive technologies. However, the findings also likely apply to conceptions that occur the natural way. Because melatonin is a natural antioxidant and free radical scavenger, it can prevent cells from getting damaged from respiration and other activities. This is likely part of the reason that both eggs and sperm fare better when exposed to melatonin.

However, there may be other causes of the link between a healthy circadian rhythm and fertility. Melatonin appears to contribute to healthy hormonal cycles in women, which are essential for conception and pregnancy. In addition, people who have irregular melatonin may also have other health risk factors such as obesity or type 2 diabetes, as both of these have been linked to low melatonin levels.

There definitely appears to be a link between melatonin and fertility rates; one that may become increasingly important as infertility rates increase around the world. Although the causality remains in question, people nonetheless may find they are more fertile when they lead a healthy lifestyle, including getting plenty of sleep and keeping their circadian rhythm well-regulated.

Omega-3 and Breast Cancer: Can a Common Fatty Acid Affect Tumor Growth?

Oct 25 by Ewcopywriting

Found primarily in foods such as fatty fish, nuts, and leafy greens, omega-3 fatty acids are an essential fat that boast a wide array of health benefits. Omega-3 consumption has been linked to more restful sleep, improved mental health, healthier aging and even higher IQs. This newest look into marine omega-3 and breast cancer adds to a growing body of evidence suggesting that omega-3 fatty acids could play a pivotal role in the body’s ability to deal with cancer.

Research Suggests a Diet Rich in Marine Omega-3 Fatty Acids May Slow Breast Cancer

A team of researchers from the University of Nebraska Medical Center recently set out to investigate the effects of an omega-3-rich diet on cancer cells. Their research revealed that marine omega-3 fatty acids, such as the ones that can be found in fish oil, could potentially slow the advancement of breast cancer cells.

Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women, regardless of age, race or ethnicity. According to the CDC, approximately one out of every eight women in the United States will develop an invasive form of breast cancer in their lifetime. Over 250 thousand new cases of invasive breast cancer in women are diagnosed each year. The second most common cause of death among females, it is expected that nearly 40 thousand women in the United States alone are likely to die each year from the disease.

In a recent study led by Saraswoti Khadge, a then Ph.D. student working under Dr. James Talmadge, researchers determined that omega-3s appeared to both stop the growth of new tumors as well block the cancer cells from spreading further. It is believed that this could be due to the way in which omega-3s aid in supporting anti-inflammatory and immune responses in the body.

According to Dr. Talmadge, who is the Director of the University of Nebraska Medical Center Laboratory of Transplantation Immunology, “The studies by Khadge provided insight not only on the impact of dietary omega-3 fatty acids on tumor growth and metastasis but also on the sites of metastasis. Thus, not only were common metastasis sites reduced but also secondary tumor growth in the ovaries, kidneys and contralateral breasts.”

Previous studies have investigated the effects of a fish oil-based diet on pregnant women and children and found there to be a significant slowing in the development and metastasis of breast cancers. The team’s findings seem to echo those of previous works. Their research has been published in the journal Clinical & Experimental Metastasis.

Studying Omega-3 and Breast Cancer in an Animal Model

In order to conduct their investigations, the researchers utilized adult female mice which were separated into two groups. Each group of mice was fed a nearly identical diet consisting of the same amount of calories and fats, however, the types of fats in each diet differed. One group’s diet included omega-6 polyunsaturated fats derived from olive oil while the other group’s diet contained marine omega-3 fatty acids from fish oil.

4T1 breast cancer cells were introduced into the mice’s systems. 4T1 cells are commonly used to study breast cancer metastasis because they are highly aggressive and are known to spread rapidly to certain parts of the body — namely the bones, liver, and lungs. After a period of 35 days, the mice were autopsied to determine the effects of each diet on cancer development.

Marine Omega-3 Fatty Acids Found to Slow Breast Cancer Development

According to the team’s data, in the mice that were on the omega-3-rich diet, the breast cancer cells had a “significantly lower” chance of actually taking hold in the mammary glands of the mice. The team observed that tumors took much longer to begin developing in the mice on the omega-3 diet, which had a direct influence on the tumor size.

The autopsy conducted after the period of 35 days revealed that the tumors which were detected in the breast glands of the mice on the omega-3 diet were 50 percent smaller than those observed in the second group. Furthermore, within the omega-3 group, the growth and spread of the cancerous cells to other organs was much lower. The mice in the omega-3 group survived for longer than the mice that were on the omega-6-rich diet.

The researchers noted that the mice on the omega-3 diet possessed more T-cells in their tissues than those in the omega-6 group. T-cells are a type of white blood cell that impact nearly every aspect of the body’s adaptive immune processes. T-cells scan the body for foreign antigens and then work together to produce antibodies, to kill off bacterial- and viral-infected cells, and to eliminate cancerous cells. If a diet that is high in marine omega-3 fatty acids causes an increase in the production of T-cells, then this could explain the significant suppression of the development and metastasis of breast cancer.

Khadge stresses that their data does not mean that omega-3s prevent breast cancer. She explains, “Our study emphasizes the potential therapeutic role of dietary long-chain omega-3 fatty acids in the control of tumor growth and metastasis.”

Recent Breakthroughs in Dementia and Cognitive Decline

Sep 07 by Ewcopywriting Leave a Comment

Recent research has brought to light a few key factors that can significantly contribute to your risk of dementia. Here, we highlight some of the newest findings regarding dementia and cognitive decline.

A Healthy Brain Starts With a Healthy Heart: How Improving Your Heart Health Could Lower Your Risk of Dementia

In a new study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, a team of researchers demonstrated that steps taken to improve heart health have the added benefit of lowering one’s risk of experiencing dementia or cognitive decline in late life. Using the seven heart health metrics defined by the American Heart Association, the team assessed a combination of modifiable health behaviors and biological components and their link to cognitive decline. According to the team’s findings, each individual parameter reduces the risk of developing dementia by 10 percent, for a total risk reduction of 70 percent if all metrics are kept in check.

Seven Steps to Improve Cardiovascular Health and Lower Dementia Risk

Eat a healthful diet.
Stay physically active.
Maintain a healthy weight and BMI.
Keep cholesterol levels under control.
Maintain a healthy blood pressure.
Reduce blood sugar levels.
Don’t smoke cigarettes.

While the authors admit the limitations of the study, it nevertheless demonstrates that steps taken to better heart health are strongly associated with a decreased risk of dementia and cognitive decline, and that addressing even one area positively impacts the risk of cognitive decline. INSERM’s Cécilia Samieri commented, “In practice, this objective appears more realistic, making it possible to reach a larger number of people and therefore have a greater impact. While health promotion is a collective challenge for public authorities and healthcare professionals, it also involves each individual taking ownership of their own health.”

Belly Fat Linked to Cognitive Decline: How Your Waist-to-Hip Ratio Impacts Your Brain

Bearing a direct impact on cholesterol, blood pressure and blood sugar levels, a person’s body mass index (BMI) affects nearly all facets of cardiovascular health. In fact, obesity is one of the top risk factors for cardiovascular disease and, according to researchers from Trinity College in Dublin, cognitive decline as well. The study, which was published in the British Journal of Nutrition, examined the health data over more than five thousand Irish adults over the age of 60 and found that higher waist-to-hip ratios were associated with a decline in cognitive abilities.

With the number of obese people on the rise around the globe and the prevalence of dementia expected to increase to upwards of 80 million by the year 2040, these findings could have “significant implications” for many. Senior study author Conal Cunningham, an associate professor at Trinity College said in a press release, “While we have known for some time that obesity is associated with negative health consequences our study adds to emerging evidence suggesting that obesity and where we deposit our excess weight could influence our brain health. This has significant public health implications.”

How Pregnancy, Reproductive History, and Hormone Therapy Impact Cognitive Decline

New findings shared at this year’s Alzheimer’s Association International Conference (AAIC) drew attention to sex differences among dementia and Alzheimer’s patients over the lifespan. “More women than men have Alzheimer’s disease or other dementias; almost two-thirds of Americans with Alzheimer’s are women,” said Dr. Maria Carrillo, the Alzheimer’s Association’s Chief Science Officer. According to the 2018 Facts and Figures Report published by the Alzheimer’s Association, 3.4 million out of 5.5 million elderly Americans diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease are women. Here are a few of the top findings on women’s health presented at this year’s conference.

A Woman’s Reproductive History is Linked to Dementia Risk

Researchers from Northern California investigating different facets of reproduction with regards to incurred dementia risk uncovered associations between the risk of dementia and numerous reproductive factors. “Possible causes of dementia in women, in particular reproductive factors, are not well understood,” explained Dr. Paola Gilsanz, a staff scientist at Kaiser Permanente’s Northern California Division of Research. “In our study, we aimed to identify female-specific risks and protective factors impacting brain health, which is critical to diminishing the disproportionate burden of dementia experienced by women.”

According to their findings:

Women who have had three or more children are 12 percent less likely to develop dementia when compared with women who have had only one child.
Each incidence of miscarriage increases the risk of dementia by 9 percent when compared to women who have had no miscarriages.
Women who started their first period at the age of 16 or older are 31 percent more at risk of dementia than those who have their first period at the average age of 13.
Women who experience the onset of natural menopause at the age of 45 or younger have a 28 percent greater risk of developing dementia when compared to women who naturally enter menopause after 45.
The length of a woman’s reproductive period averaged around 34 years. Women whose reproductive periods span 21 to 30 years in length are 33 percent more at risk of dementia when compared to women whose reproductive periods span between 38 to 44 years.

Pregnancy History Affects the Risk of Alzheimer’s Disease in Women

In order to investigate possible associations between Alzheimer’s risk and a woman’s reproductive history, researchers from the University of California at Los Angeles collected pregnancy histories and measures of dementia symptoms and found that the cumulative months of pregnancy could serve as a “significant predictor” for the risk of Alzheimer’s disease. According to their data, women who spend 12.5 percent more months pregnant than an otherwise identical woman are 20 percent less likely to develop Alzheimer’s. The researchers believe that the body’s immune response during the first trimester of pregnancy may be the mechanism underlying the reduced risk.

“We are intrigued by the possibility that pregnancy may reorganize the mother’s body in ways that could protect her against developing Alzheimer’s later in life. These results also suggest that the story might not be so simple as being all about estrogen exposure, as previous researchers have suggested,” said Dr. Molly Fox, an assistant professor at UC Los Angeles.

Hormone Therapy is Not Always Linked to Cognitive Decline

Researchers reviewing recent studies regarding cognition and hormone therapy found that only under certain circumstances was hormone therapy associated with cognitive impairment. In particular:

Women who begin hormone therapy between the ages of 50 and 54 encountered no negative cognitive effects.
Women who start hormone therapy between the ages of 65 and 79, however, saw decreased cognition, impaired memory and reduced higher functioning.
Women with type 2 diabetes undergoing hormone therapy were found to have a higher risk of cognitive decline than either diabetic women not on hormone therapy or non-diabetic women who were on hormones.

Dr. Carey Gleason of the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center commented, “These findings add to our understanding of the complex effects of hormones on the brain. These data are sorely needed to guide women’s healthcare during and after the menopausal transition and to help women make personalized and informed decisions regarding management of their menopausal symptoms and the prevention of future adverse health outcomes.”

A Woman’s Verbal Memory Advantage Could Mask the Earliest Stages of Alzheimer’s

Data suggests that, throughout the aging process, women possess an advantage when it comes to remembering words and verbal materials. Many of the current tests used for diagnosing Alzheimer’s rely on verbal memory and word recall, story recollection and other verbal items. Researchers hoping to form a better understanding of these sex differences in verbal memory in the aging brain found that, even though their brains presented moderate signs of Alzheimer’s degradation, women indeed maintained higher levels of cognitive performance in the earlier stages of the disease when compared to men, though the advantage diminished as the disease progressed.

“These findings may help to explain why women show a more rapid decline across a wide range of cognitive abilities after being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. While the female advantage may be functionally beneficial, it could mask early stages of Alzheimer’s, resulting in a more severe burden of disease at the time of diagnosis, with more rapid deterioration thereafter,” said Dr. Pauline Maki, Senior Research Director at the University of Illinois’s Center for Research on Women and Gender.

The use of diagnostic tests based upon gender improved the accuracy of diagnosis in both men and women, which suggests a need for further research into alternative diagnostic approaches.

Painkillers Used to Treat Chronic Pain in Dementia Patients Can Triple Harmful Side Effects

Also presented at this year’s AAIC were a pair of studies highlighting the effects of opioid painkillers in people living with dementia and the potential mechanisms underlying these effects.

Approximately half of dementia patients in care facilities live with “clinically significant pain,” which is often mismanaged or even undiagnosed. Researchers found that the opioid-based painkillers commonly used to treat pain increased the negative side effects — like confusion, lethargy, and mood swings — by threefold in dementia patients.

“Pain is a symptom that can cause huge distress and it’s important that we can provide relief to people with dementia. Sadly, at the moment, we’re harming people when we’re trying to ease their pain. We urgently need more research in this area, and we must get this dosing right. We need to establish the best treatment pathway and examine appropriate dosing for people with dementia,” commented the University of Exeter’s Professor of Age-Related Diseases, Clive Ballard.

While opioid painkillers are an effective treatment, dementia patients require smaller doses for pain relief and seem to more sensitive to negative side effects of the drugs. Research suggests that this may be because dementia patients’ bodies appear to overproduce its natural endogenous opioids.