Starting your period before all of your friends do can be awkward. But, according to a new study, early-onset puberty may be associated with a reduced risk of dementia later in life.
Over 5 million American adults over 65 live with dementia, according to 2014 data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The condition comes in different forms—the most common of which is Alzheimer's disease—and is characterized by an impaired ability to remember, think and make decisions.
Exactly what triggers dementia is still unclear, but numerous lifestyle factors and environmental exposures may increase or decrease our risk. And, according to new research, estrogen exposure may be one of them.
In a study published in The American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, researchers from University College London sampled 273,260 female participants between 37 and 73 years old and collated data on their background and medical and reproductive histories. Their objective: to study the protective effects of estrogen on developing dementia.
Previous research in rats has shown that estrogen helps increase the number of connections made between neurons in the brain's memory center. Other research has suggested that the hormone may protect our brains from some of the harmful effects of abnormal protein buildups, which are a hallmark of developing Alzheimer's disease.
From their analysis, the team found that women who started their periods at or under the age of 12 were 12 percent less likely to develop dementia than those who began menstruating at or after 15. There was also a significant association between a later age of menopause and decreased dementia risk, with those exposed to estrogen in their 50s being roughly 24 percent less likely to develop dementia, compared with women who began menopause in their early 40s.
"We found that the earlier women start menstruating, and the later they go through menopause, the lower their risk of developing dementia," the study's lead author, Hee Kyung Park of University College London, said in a statement.
"A lifetime of prolonged exposure to estrogen gives women a protective effect against dementia, and this needs to be factored into clinical practice to help understand and prevent dementia," Park said.
More work is needed to confirm these findings, as this correlation does not necessarily imply that increased estrogen exposure is actually causing the reduction in dementia risk. But the research adds to an exciting body of evidence for hormone replacement therapy as a potential protective method against dementia development in older individuals.
Is there a health problem that's worrying you? Do you have a question about dementia? Let us know via health@newsweek.com. We can ask experts for advice, and your story could be featured in Newsweek.
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Pandora Dewan is a Senior Science Reporter at Newsweek based in London, UK. Her focus is reporting on science, health ... Read more
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