Menopause changes the mix of proteins in the blood, and some may be tied to brain aging
After menopause, women's blood carries a different mix of proteins, many linked to inflammation and to brain aging. In four groups of older women, totalling 11,925, higher levels of these proteins went with weaker memory and thinking scores.
Why it matters
Menopause is a normal part of life for half the world's people, and women face a higher risk of dementia than men. If a simple blood test can show which body processes shift at menopause, doctors may one day spot risk early and try to act on it. But this study only shows that the proteins and the test scores move together. It does not prove the proteins harm the brain, and no treatment comes out of it yet.
Who's behind it: M. Wood Alexander, K. B. Casaletto and colleagues, A team working across universities and research centres in the United States, Canada and Europe.
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