Menopausal Symptom Burden Tied to Cognitive, Behavioral Impairment

MONDAY, March 17, 2025 (HealthDay News) — Higher menopausal symptom burden is associated with poorer cognitive and behavioral impairment later in life, according to a study published online March 5 in PLOS ONE.

Jasper F.E. Crockford, from the University of Calgary in Alberta, Canada, and colleagues investigated the association between menopausal symptoms and cognitive and behavioral changes. Analysis included 896 postmenopausal female participants.

The researchers found that greater menopausal symptom burden was associated with higher Everyday Cognition (ECog-II) Scale total scores (b = 5.37; 95 percent confidence interval, 2.85 to 7.97) and higher Mild Behavioral Impairment Checklist (MBI-C) total scores (b = 6.09; 95 percent confidence interval, 2.50 to 9.80). While hormone therapy was not significantly associated with ECog-II total scores (b = −10.98; 95 percent confidence interval, −25.33 to 6.35), hormone therapy was significantly associated with lower MBIC total scores (b = −26.90; 95 percent confidence interval,−43.35 to −5.67).

“Menopausal symptom burden is associated with poorer cognitive function and more mild behavioral impairment symptoms in mid- to late-life. Hormone therapy may help mitigate symptoms of mild behavioral impairment,” the authors write. “These findings suggest that the experience of menopause may indicate susceptibility to cognitive and behavioral changes, both markers of dementia.”

Abstract/Full Text