Common procedure causes Dementia

There is an increasingly common procedure that women are undergoing at a younger age. Some are doing it for a very good reason. In other cases, it’s not critical.

This procedure can directly lead to dementia later in life. This is according to a new study published in Alzheimer’s and Dementia.

Estrogen and testosterone, two of the hormones produced by the ovaries, play a big role in women’s health.

Accordingly, the authors wanted to know whether women who had both ovaries removed before the age of 50 showed changes to their brains associated with dementia.

The researchers used data from over 1,000 women aged 50 and older. They divided the participants into four groups:

• 22 women who had both ovaries removed before age 40
• 43 women who had them removed between ages 40 and 45
• 39 women who had them removed between ages 46 and 49
• 907 women who still had both their ovaries

They used a technique called diffusion tensor imaging to measure the integrity of white matter in the brain. This method provides two key measurements: fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity (MD). Lower FA and higher MD indicate poorer brain white matter integrity.

Here is a summary of their key findings:

1. Women who had their ovaries removed before age 40 had lower FA and higher MD in several brain regions compared to those who hadn’t had the surgery, indicating damaged white matter.

2. Women who had their ovaries removed between ages 45 and 49 also showed some changes in white matter integrity, but less severe than those who had them removed earlier.

3. The use of estrogen replacement therapy did not help to reduce damage to white matter.

Reduced white matter integrity is a major contributor to cognitive decline and dementia, suggesting that early ovary removal puts you at serious risk of these conditions later in life.

This research adds to a growing body of evidence suggesting that the ovaries are essential not just for reproduction but for overall health, including brain health. The sudden loss of hormones produced by the ovaries, particularly before menopause, appears to have lasting impacts.

So, if you or your daughters are considering ovary removal for non-cancerous conditions like endometriosis, ovarian cysts, painful menstruation, or simply as a part of a hysterectomy, as half of women tend to do, this study shows why it’s not a great idea.

However, if you are already experiencing symptoms of dementia, do not despair. Because you can halt the progression, even reverse it, by loading it up with one ingredient (explained here). Best of all, it’s completely free…