Fewer Reproductive Years in Women Linked to an Increased Risk of Dementia

A study published in Neurology suggests women who start their period later, experience menopause earlier, or undergo a hysterectomy may be at higher risk of developing dementia, reports EurekAlert . "Since women are 50 percent more likely to develop dementia over their lifetimes than men, it's important to study any risk factors that are specific to women that could eventually lead us to potential points of intervention," notes Paola Gilsanz of the Kaiser Permanente Division of Research. Included in the study were 6,137 female members of Kaiser Permanente Northern California. Their average age of first period was 13, average age of menopause was 45, and average total number of reproductive years was 32, while 34 percent reported a hysterectomy. In terms of women who did not have a hysterectomy, average age of menopause was 47 and average total reproductive years was 34. Forty-two percent developed dementia, and subjects who had fewer than 34 reproductive years had a 20 percent greater risk of dementia than those who had 34 or more reproductive years. Of the 1,702 women who had fewer than 34 total reproductive years, 728 later developed dementia, versus 1,024 of the 2,345 women who went through menopause at age 47 or older. "Our results show that less exposure to estrogen over the course of a lifetime is linked to an increased risk of dementia," concluded Gilsanz.