Advertisement
This Inflammatory Marker May Connect Menopause To Brain Aging
Hot flashes can interrupt your day, night sweats can leave you exhausted, and brain fog can make it harder to concentrate. These changes are common during menopause, but could they also offer clues about long-term brain health?
A study published in Nature Medicine1 explored how blood proteins change during the menopause transition and whether those changes are linked to cognitive decline later in life.
About the study
Researchers first analyzed blood samples from 80 women ages 43 to 58. Some hadn't started menopause, some were in the transition, and others had completed it.
They then checked whether their initial findings held up in another 2,814 women.
Finally, the researchers studied 11,925 older women to see whether the blood protein patterns identified earlier were associated with changes in memory and thinking or a higher risk of Alzheimer's disease dementia.
One inflammatory marker stood out
In the first group of 80 women, researchers identified 16 blood proteins involved in inflammation, metabolism, and communication between brain cells.
Levels of these proteins tended to increase as women moved from premenopause through perimenopause to postmenopause. The researchers found similar patterns in the larger group of 2,814 women.
One protein, called CCL2, caught their attention.
CCL2 helps coordinate the immune response by directing immune cells toward areas of inflammation. Researchers found that this marker was associated with menopause-related changes in midlife women and also appeared in their analyses of brain health in older women.
The researchers also found that the protein changes in the midlife groups were more closely associated with reproductive hormone levels than with age alone.
Specifically, the patterns were linked to higher levels of follicle-stimulating hormone and lower estrogen. This suggests the menopause transition may contribute to these biological changes, although the study can't prove that it causes them.
In the older women, the identified protein patterns were associated with faster cognitive decline and a higher risk of Alzheimer's disease dementia.
When researchers examined menopause symptoms in the midlife women, night sweats had the strongest associations with changes in inflammatory proteins.
What hot flashes could tell us about brain health
Hot flashes and night sweats are usually discussed in terms of comfort and sleep. But their association with inflammatory changes raises the possibility that they could also reflect biological processes connected to long-term brain health.
That doesn't mean hot flashes predict dementia. The study found associations between menopause symptoms, blood proteins, and later-life cognitive outcomes, but it didn't show that hot flashes cause brain aging or determine a woman's future dementia risk.
Menopause typically occurs around age 51, while changes associated with dementia can begin years before noticeable memory problems. Understanding how hormones and inflammation interact during midlife could eventually help researchers identify ways to support brain health earlier.
RELATED READ: Yes, Creatine Is A Brain Health Supplement—Here's Why
How to look after yourself during menopause
You don't need a specialized blood test to act on what you know about your health. Instead, focus on symptoms and concerns you can discuss with your health care provider.
- Talk about disruptive hot flashes or night sweats: Ask about treatment options if symptoms affect your sleep, work, or quality of life. You don't have to simply tough them out.
- Mention ongoing brain fog or memory changes: Don't automatically assume persistent symptoms are just menopause. Your provider can help assess possible causes and discuss next steps.
- Skip the CCL2 test for now: This marker isn't an established way to predict dementia risk, and the protein patterns identified in the study aren't ready for routine clinical screening.
The takeaway
CCL2 could help scientists understand how menopause-related inflammation connects to brain aging, but there's still plenty to learn.
For now, take disruptive symptoms seriously, seek support when you need it, and remember that hot flashes alone don't predict your brain's future.
