Women with longer reproductive lifespans may have healthier brain blood vessels in later life, according to a new study that highlights a possible link between lifetime oestrogen exposure and brain ageing.
The research, published in the journal Neurology, examined 352 women in Gothenburg, Sweden. Researchers assessed their brain health through MRI scans when they were around 70 years old and again five years later. They also collected information about their reproductive histories and use of hormone treatments.
The findings showed that women who experienced a longer reproductive lifespan – the period between their first menstruation and menopause – had less damage to small blood vessels in the brain.
Women who used menopausal hormone therapy (MHT) also showed lower levels of small-vessel disease and healthier white matter, which connects different parts of the brain.
Researchers observed the most favourable brain health profile among women who had used oral contraceptives during their reproductive years and hormone therapy during menopause.
Study author Anna Marseglia of Karolinska Institutet said medication-based oestrogen exposure may extend its effects beyond natural menopause, though the findings do not prove causation.
Oestrogen supports blood flow and brain health. However, the study lacked detailed hormone-use data and found no significant differences in some brain changes over five years.
The findings do not prove that hormone therapy prevents dementia or Alzheimer’s. Doctors do not recommend it solely for brain protection but mainly to manage menopausal symptoms.
Researchers called for further studies into how hormone exposure affects brain health as women age.
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