Can menopause cause loss of speech?
Losing words or keys more and more often: if you are between 45 and 55 years old, don't be alarmed. It's not the first signs of dementia or Alzheimer's (except in rare cases) but it may be one of the cognitive disorders typical of menopause. It is called "brain in the fog," is related to hot flashes, and can be treated
- Memory loss: symptom of menopause or dementia?
- Can menopause cause cognitive disorders?
- Are cognitive disorders in menopause a telltale sign of early dementia?
- Are hot flashes dangerous for cognitive disorders?
- How often should hot flashes occur to worry us?
- How can hot flashes be treated?
- Can cognitive disorders in menopause be improved?
- Is it true that hormone replacement therapy causes cancer?
- Is hormone replacement therapy for everyone?
- When to start dealing with menopause?
- Can the onset of dementia be prevented or delayed?
- What is the link between weight gain and cognitive disorders?
- Do hot flashes in addition to brain damage make you fat?
Memory loss: a symptom of menopause or dementia?
Difficulty remembering words and numbers, losing objects such as keys or forgetting where you left your car, difficulty concentrating (getting lost in your own thoughts, losing the thread of reasoning, getting distracted more easily), difficulty switching from one activity to another, forgetting the reason why you are doing something (for example, why you went to a room), and forgetting events or appointments. If these memory stumbles are accompanied by sleep disturbances, mood changes, and hot flashes, and you are in the 45-55 age group, then they may be caused by menopause.
Can menopause cause cognitive disorders?
Scientific studies in fact show that memory with menopause also undergoes some changes related to hormonal fluctuations. These cognitive disorders, the so-called "brain in the fog," are real and not figments of the imagination. On the occasion of World Menopause Day-October 18-the International Menopause Society wants precisely to emphasize the "brain in the fog" , a normal and frequent phenomenon in women between the ages of 45 and 55. A physiological phase of life, on which the stigma is slowly falling, thanks to scientific studies on the one hand and, on the other, to many women of the star system who are exposing themselves in first person (for example, Monica Bellucci, Heather Parisi, Maria Grazia Cucinotta, Naomi Watts and Gwyneth Paltrow), with the aim of pushing women to seek concrete solutions to feel better, stripping away the prejudices that still weigh on this condition.
Are cognitive disorders in menopause a telltale sign of early dementia?
The discomforts that appear at menopause are all closely related, so the brain is also involved. But these cognitive deficits in most cases are transient and are not the first signs of a form of dementia. This is how Rossella Nappi, full professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Pavia, a gynecologist at Policlinico San Matteo in Pavia and New President-elect of the International Menopause Society, reassures us. "Often women are concerned about whether these memory problems may be an early manifestation of a cognitive disorder such as dementia or Alzheimer's disease. But based on studies, we can say that if all women are destined to go through menopause, most of them will not develop a picture of dementia. At this stage of life, cases of dementia are very rare, unless there is a family history of early-onset Alzheimer's disease."
Are hot flashes dangerous for cognitive disorders?
The "brain in the fog" is closely linked to hot flashes and improves once menopause passes, as the expert explains. "A latest study published in the journal Neurology shows that hot flashes typical of menopause are not just a momentary discomfort, but over time cause damage to the white matter of the brain. Having lots of hot flashes therefore is not good for the heart, but neither is it good for the central nervous system. These are small events that, repeated over time, put the heart's vessels and neurons in check."
How often should hot flashes occur to worry us?
"These episodes," the expert continues, "are really impactful when they reach 35 per week, an average of seven between day and night. Situations that create anxiety, confusion, stress and discomfort especially in the work environment because they can affect our performance and relationships. Drop by drop, they are able to create a deep malaise that also affects mood and self-esteem."
How do you treat hot flashes?
Reducing hot flashes is therefore important both to preserve our brains from decay-partly temporary-and to make us feel better at work, with family, and with others. For some time, as Professor Nappi explains, work has been underway on a non-hormonal drug that can turn off the hot flash mechanism. "It would be ideal for all those women who cannot follow HRT (Hormone Replacement Therapy) because they have had breast or ovarian cancer or have a high risk of thrombosis. There are two strands of research at the moment, and the data are increasingly encouraging. The new pill will serve to modulate NKB, a specific receptor in the brain, causing it to turn off the hot flash: in essence, the drug would act as an intermediary between estrogen and the mechanism of the hot flash itself. For now, two drugs are at an advanced stage of study, but they are not yet available in Europe, and we will get there soon."
Can cognitive disorders in menopause be improved?
Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is the most effective treatment of all menopause-related disorders, including cognitive disorders. Explains Professor Nappi: "Until a certain time, it was thought that this therapy could increase the risk of dementia. However, scientific data tell us that if you are healthy and start HRT close to menopause, there are no risks on the cognitive side. What's more, taking estrogen-only therapy seems to be safe in terms of cognitive risk, even if taken in the late postmenopausal phase."
Is it true that hormone replacement therapy causes cancers?
Until recently, estradiol- and progesterone-based hormone replacement therapy was demonized, but now it is known that the benefits far outweigh the risks. "This is shown by all the latest studies and even the analysis of case histories that had created so much fear in the past: today we can say that HRT gives huge benefits on the osteoporosis and cardiovascular risk front, even reduces the risk of diabetes by 13 percent. Beware of diabetes in menopause because it is the worst cardiovascular killer there is: if a woman gets diabetes in the menopausal years and is not treated, the probability of heart attack or stroke is very high."
Is hormone replacement therapy for everyone?
HRT should be given at a certain time and in certain cases: "HRT is indicated for women who have overt symptoms and are in the so-called window of opportunity, that is, around or during menopause. Unfortunately, very often still today women are treated late, in the mistaken belief that a year must pass since their last menstruation. This is not the case." Professor Nappi has dedicated her life and her studies to spreading the culture of menopause: "We need to prepare for the change: menopause should be recognized earlier, in the so-called perimenopause phase, when the first signs of cycle change, hot flashes and mood changes arrive. That is the right time to see a gynecologist experienced in this issue and understand what is going on. Major gynecologic cancers, such as those affecting the breast and endometrium, depend on irregularities in the balance of estrogen and progesterone leading to tissue proliferation."
When to start dealing with menopause?
Many women begin to enter menopause simply with a sense of bloating, headache or pressure swings, "That's where you can already take action with a targeted diet and active lifestyle. The right food and movement prevent precisely the metabolic syndrome that underlies so many decompensations. The latest studies show that the damage can be reduced even seven years before the actual menopause, that is, starting with the first cycle changes."
Can the onset of dementia be prevented or delayed?
It should not be assumed that estrogen and progesterone can generally solve cognitive disorders or decrease the future risk of cognitive impairment and dementia, as the professor tells us. "HRT is a therapy that should be modulated on the individual person, especially in the presence of disorders and as soon as possible." More simply, if you suffer from cognitive impairment in menopause and are concerned about the risk of developing a dementia framework in the future, you can strive to stay healthy to delay or even prevent the onset of dementia. Some dementia risk factors cannot be changed, such as age, female gender and genetics, but many habits can, as the expert lists: "Doing at least 150 minutes a week of moderate aerobic activity, following the Mediterranean diet, avoiding sugary foods, controlling heart, diabetes and hypertension, avoiding smoking, having a social life and exercising the brain: these are0 golden rules to protect our brains in menopause."
What is the link between weight gain and cognitive disorders?
It is normal to gain weight during menopause, and not only because with age comes a reduction in basal metabolism, that is, the amount of energy each cell uses to run the body. At this stage, fat gain is a compensatory mechanism that the body puts in place. "Menopause, with the drop in female hormones, drives fat storage because fat mass produces estrogen. And the body knows they can help. But precisely because estrogen is gone, the accumulation happens on the abdomen, where there is a prevalence of androgens, the male hormones. And in fact, men gain weight mainly there. From age 45 to 55, women's waist can grow as much as 5 centimeters and weight 4 to 6 kilos if nothing is done to reduce it."
Do hot flashes besides damaging the brain make you fat?
The problem is not just cosmetic but general health. "This type of fat is insulin resistant: difficult to get rid of, but especially related to increased cholesterol and blood sugar, factors that worsen if you are stressed. Stress, which then interferes with fat mass, turns on flushing, which in turn increases fat accumulation. A dangerous vicious cycle that can be broken with targeted diet and physical activity."
