The impact of menopause on the brain!

[snowpony]

This episode of diary of a CEO discusses the impact of menopause on our brains:

i am just shocked by this. Do you think this will also cause greater discrimination against women (the fact that proof is now emerging)? I also wonder whether NHS should be offering HRT more widely (and earlier) to potentially reduce the numbers of women with Alzheimer’s.

No! I bloody don't! I'm annoyed now about everything to do with it. Get hrt if you are struggling. That's it. End of story. Women live longer than men so that's why we are more at risk of dementia

No, we don’t get Alzheimer’s because we live longer. Alzheimer’s plaques appear on the brain during perimenopause. This is why I’ve posted the video - Lisa Mosconi has carried out some proper research (first time it’s been done) on what happens to our brains during menopause. 70% of Alzheimer’s suffers are women!!

Well I'm going through peri menopause (52) and my mum (70) is going through horrendous short/long term memory loss but won't go to the doctor's for diagnosis.

It's like the blind leading the blind at this point and we both gaslight eachother as to who is worse - but I have to remember everything she might need from the shop/ how much gas/electricity she has in her top-up meter, otherwise it results in many trips to the shops on my bike (I don't drive).
Sorry for the rant - I'll look at the link after my 🍷 😭.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11006480/
2024 small sample research.
somewhat interesting.

It's misogyny and its creator patriarchy that causes discrimination against women, not scientific research.

Rates of Alzheimer's and also osteoporosis are horrifically high for women and it increasingly looks like the drop in oestrogen is responsible. Ignoring that is not going to do us any favours.

As women we do not need to pretend we are the same as men and can match all expectations that a man can meet. Just as men cannot match all that we do. We are awesome and marvellous in our own right but - same as men - we have our own specific challenges and needs. We should be advocating for these to be recognised and given fair accounting for.

Following

Honestly I do not feel 'awesome and marvelous'. I feel cheated.

in what way @lateatwork?
i'm one that sailed through this phase with relative ease but i do know everyone is different.
cognitively: i have fully stepped back and enjoy peace/quiet and relaxation. i enjoy my own company and home hobby. if i was tested i'm not sure i would be as sharp at 20+ years ago but i'm not entirely certain it wouldn't be a reflection of me having embraced a lifestyle out of the limelight.

I hope it won't lead to more discrimination.
I don't think men are clever enough to plan to not hire a women because she will go through menopause.
Discrimination on women of childbearing age is decreasing still which is good.

But I think women of menopause and perimenopause age have for a long time and still are dropping out of the workforce on long term sick etc due to this....and people haven't recognised it.
It my work place they have been talking about menopause for a few years now....but as if itsjust hot flushes and irritability for a few months.
Where as I now recognise how many women in their 40s and early 50s I have seen change jobs, drop grades, retire early or go part time because of "stress".

No don't me wrong....a lot of those jobs are very stressful and part of it could just be burnout that applies to men and women equally

But those women were coping in those stressful roles for years....then suddenly were unable to cope. And they (we) have literally decades of knowledge and experience that is then lost.

So hopefully what will happen is that companies will realise they need to make reasonable adjustments for perimenopause to retain those women and continue to benefit from our expertise.

HRT/testosterone is your friend.

also found this article on the same research:
https://amp.theguardian.com/wellness/2024/mar/01/how-menopause-changes-brain-body

My concern is that there is now real proof of changes to the brain so this could drive increased discrimination against women.

quote from article:

(Because women typically outperform men when it comes to memory, “they’re just declining to the level of men”, explains Jacobs.)

It could. Or it could drive support for women. That’s what we have to work on, I guess.

My issue is that there is no slack in the system for anyone. Whether you are perimenopausal or a carer, have a health issue or a complicated home life, work is requiring a minimum 100% drive 5 days a week, with no downtime. It’s not like it used to be- we are all doing several people’s jobs, we don’t have admin support- and we’re burning out, perhaps women more quickly than men.

There’s no room for a gentler pace. So many jobs are unsustainable as we get older.

Exactly this.

Once, just once I wish mother nature had weighted the dice in favour of women.

And, to be frank, I'm over people saying 'well I sailed through blah blah' it matters less what an individual experience is and more how women (in general) are perceived. Subtle (and not so subtle) decisions will be made on this. That may 'change over time' but it doesn't help right now.

Tbh if you have made the decision to slow down, bully for you. Some of us can't afford to do that despite symptoms or no symptoms.

I've been the made breadwinner all my life and am working in a high pressure role. I have had to fight through sex discrimination all my career. And then I reach this age and poof it all blows up again

But what can employers do?
They need a productive workforce.

Honestly, women are backed into a corner and the only way out is as listed above, leave the work environment.

It’s a totally shite situation for everyone.

Im totally struggling at work and every day worry I’m going to be let go because I just can’t function on all cylinders. I’m a fucking shadow of myself 10 years ago. I can see no way that my employer can support me with my struggles.

I found the podcast really interesting.

What strikes me is the point about menopause being boxed in as a gynaecological issue whereas the guest on the podcast suggests it a cognitive issue(sex hormones are hormones that significantly impact on cognitive functioning).

As always, science linked to exclusively female functioning has not received the attention it should, added to that it has been reduced to gynaecology. I am hoping that we are starting to see a change and some breakthroughs will follow

Main breadwinner here too so cannot take it easy or step back.

I’m 51 , I’m carer for 3 people, I feel like I just have to manage . I don’t want hrt as it just feels that brings another collection of issues .

I’d really like to see the results of studies for HRT users and whether there is a reduction in Alzheimer’s in that group.
the lack of funding and research into women’s health just makes me furious - the but in the video when she talks about hysteria - so we’ve suspected since Ancient Greek times that there is a link between sex hormones and the brain but it hasn’t truly been researched until now !!?

Have you gone through the menopause and how was it for you?

I'm 47 and on HRT, I just had a CT scan (head) for memory problems which has shown 'mild global cortical atrophy' which I am finding pretty scary although the GP says he thinks it is normal.

Now waiting on a memory clinic appt. I do have a family history of dementia though.

@snowpony

Thanks for posting. I’ve just ordered The Menopause Brain by Lisa Mosconi on Audible.

personally, can’t see why we wouldn’t think that exposure to a high level of hormones would not have any effect on the brain much the same as it does in our teen years. I will be really interested what the book has to say.

I would also agree that modern society has forgotten a lot of what the Ancient Greeks, Egyptians, and Aztec/Mayans already new about the world much to our cost

Once, just once I wish mother nature had weighted the dice in favour of women.

what did I just read? Women have all sorts of advantages over men courtesy of Mother Nature. We live years longer. We are more likely to survive famine because our bodies are more energy efficient. We are less likely to get any type of cancer, even after lifestyle factors are accounted for. We are more mentally stable and so less likely to complete suicide.

OP, I suspect that much of what is being linked to menopause is really a function of natural aging. You can’t get to late 40s/50s without the body starting to slow down and the first signs of age related health problems. Hormone changes that also occur as a result of aging don’t necessarily cause the physical changes of ageing. I haven’t seen hard evidence that HRT stops or reverses any age related physical conditions.