Blood Proteins Link Menopause to Later-Life Brain Health
Researchers have identified 16 blood proteins that increase during menopause, linking this biological transition to molecular changes associated with brain aging and dementia risk. These shifts are more closely tied to menopause stage than age, suggesting menopause itself triggers these changes, opening new avenues for interventions to promote healthy brain aging.
Why it matters
This research provides crucial insights into the biological mechanisms connecting menopause to brain health, potentially leading to early detection methods and targeted treatments to mitigate cognitive decline and dementia risk in women.
Researchers at UC Santa Barbara, UC San Francisco and international collaborators are uncovering the cascade of molecular events that happen when women undergo menopause, a time of life marked by endocrine changes and symptoms like hot flashes, brain fog and sleep disturbances.
"Menopause is not an isolated reproductive event," said Emily Jacobs , a professor of psychological and brain sciences at UCSB. "It is a whole-body biological transition. Now we can begin to see a molecular fingerprint of that transition in the blood and ask how it relates to brain health decades later."
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