Early menopause, premature ovarian insufficiency spell increased dementia risk

Early menopause or premature ovarian insufficiency may put women at increased risk of dementia, as reported in a recent study.

Researchers conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to synthesize current evidence regarding the association between early menopause or premature ovarian insufficiency and the risk of dementia of any type. Multiple online databases were searched for relevant studies.

For the meta-analysis, study quality was evaluated using the Newcastle-Ottawa scale and the I2 index was used for heterogeneity. Data were pooled from 11 studies involving 4,716,862 participants. Quality was assessed as good in nine studies and as fair in the remaining two studies.

Results showed that the risk of dementia was 37-percent greater among women who had early menopause than among women whose menopause occurred at the average age (odds ratio [OR] 1.37, 95 percent confidence interval [CI], 1.22–1.54; I2=93 percent). However, the risk estimate was attenuated after excluding a large retrospective cohort study (OR, 1.07, 95 percent CI, 0.78–1.48; I2=94 percent).

The risk of dementia was also elevated among women with premature ovarian insufficiency (OR, 1.18, 95 percent CI, 1.15–1.21; I2=0 percent). In subgroup analysis, this risk appeared to be mostly evident in cohort studies and in those that included women with natural menopause.

More studies are needed to confirm the present findings.