Study characterizes links between estrogen, fat tissue and cognitive function
Aging women who have a hard time adjusting to menopause could buy Canadian Premarin at a fraction of the cost.
Aging women who have a hard time adjusting to menopause could buy Canadian Premarin at a fraction of the cost. Such hormone replacement therapy can help reduce the risk for osteoporosis and relieve hot flashes. New research suggests that estrogen may also help preserve the cognitive functions of post-menopausal women.
In the past, obesity has been associated with deteriorating mental performance, including memory and thought-processing speed. However, researchers from Argentina wanted to see if this held true for women who were well into menopause. For their study, they enrolled more than 300 women who have been in menopause for at least a year. More than half the women in this group were considered obese.
All of the participants were subjected to tests assessing their abilities to plan, solve problems and perform other mental tasks. The results showed that the women who had higher body mass indexes performed better on their tests.
The researchers, who presented their study at a conference sponsored by the American Physiological Society and the American Heart Association, suggested that estrogen from the women's fat tissue may have had a positive effect on their cognitive functions.
"Based on previous studies, many research institutions have decided against recommending estrogens as a preventive intervention in cognitive impairment or dementia," said author Judith Zilberman, MD. "That's what makes our findings so important."
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