Menopause is often met with fears of hot flashes, mood swings and weight gain, but what many women may not realize is that brain function may also be impaired. The primary hormones that influence menopausal changes, estrogen and progesterone, also play a critical role in cognitive function. Researchers have come to understand that plummeting levels of estrogen and progesterone during menopause can lead to memory loss, brain fog or poor concentration.
Adding another side effect of menopause to the already lengthy list may heighten fears among premenopausal women, however, recent research is showing that hormone therapy—already heralded for its effectiveness in treating hot flashes and other menopausal discomforts—offers cognitive benefits.
In the August 2015 study published in Psychoneuroendocrinology, estrogen and progesterone therapy proved to be beneficial to various aspects of cognition among postmenopausal women. The researchers found that compared with a placebo, progesterone improved verbal and visual working memory in the subjects. This outcome was believed to be related to progesterone’s role in promoting generation and survival of neurons in the hippocampus. Estrogen, supplemented as estradiol, did not appear to directly impact improvement in tasks associated with visual and verbal working memory, but it did increase activation of the left prefrontal cortex and the left hippocampus compared with a placebo during the verbal working memory tasks.
Hormone Therapy for Menopause
Numerous bodies of research have found that hormone therapy is the best and most effective treatment option for women facing menopause. It is recommended that women bring up the topic of menopause with a doctor as soon as they begin noticing symptoms, often during the pre- or perimenopausal phases. Addressing menopause in the earliest stages can ensure women get a comprehensive treatment plan designed to reduce or prevent symptoms.
Estrogen and progesterone levels may fluctuate significantly before and during menopause, making monitoring hormone balance through this transition essential to the greatest outcomes. Hormone balance can be achieved with bioidentical hormone replacement therapy, including bioidentical progesterone and bioidentical estrogen. A comprehensive treatment plan should not only incorporate hormone therapy but also consider medical history, symptoms and lifestyle factors.
However, when seeking treatment for menopause and associated symptoms, it important to talk to an expert who specializes in hormones and hormone therapy. The physicians of the BodyLogicMD network are specially trained and certified to assess hormone levels and administer bioidentical hormone therapy. Each physician completes extensive training in the field of functional and regenerative medicine to deliver a comprehensive approach to health concerns. Every treatment plan at BodyLogicMD begins with advanced diagnostic testing to thoroughly assess hormone levels and is followed by a one-on-one consultation with a medical healthcare practitioner who will develop a custom treatment plan.
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