HRT Increases Risk of Dementia

Even though many women feel that their memory is no longer as sharp as it was before the menopause, apparently that is not the case.
Researchers say the myth of memory loss during menopause is a perception some women have because as they went through menopause, they felt their memory wasn't as sharp as it had been before.
Demantia, which is an age related condition can however affect women as they grow older.
It was believed at one time that hormone replacement therapy could prevent this.
Studies suggesting that hormone replacement therapy might protect against dementia strengthened that belief. However, a large study later found that in older women, hormone replacement therapy not only didn't help protect women from dementia, but could actually increase the risk.

Menopause Not The Only Factor Affecting Sexuality in Middle Aged Women

Sexual activity amongst menopausal women differs greatly between individuals according to new research from the University of Sheffield

It suggests that rather than hormonal changes during the menopause, external factors such as a partner's reduced libido, depth of relationship and caring for a relative had more of an impact on sexual satisfaction during the menopause.

Dr Sharron Hinchcliff says "biological research tends to report the negative impact of declining hormone levels on womens' ability to engage in and enjoy sexual activities, whereas our study found that some women actually saw an increase in sexual desire during this time”

The study concludes that the menopause is not the only factor that affects a woman's sexuality after a certain age and that lifestyle changes in mid-life also affect it.

Test to Predict Menopause Age

A blood test measuring AMH which is a hormone found in a woman's ovaries can predict the age at which a woman is likely to reach menopause, and thus give an idea as to when she is likely to stop being fertile. This is usually about a decade before menopause age.
This test is particularly useful for women who have an early menopause and would allow them to plan their family accordingly.
Scientists in Iran have carried out a new study that has used this test to predict menopause, and have found that it is accurate to within about a third of a year.
Read more about Fertility and Menopause...

Keep Using Contraceptives Until After The Menopause...

The Family Planning Association has launched a new campaign called Conceivable aimed at women aged 35 and over, which reminds women to stay vigilant about unplanned pregnancy and to keep using contraception until after the menopause if they do not wish to become pregnant.

They are doing this because experts fear older women are ditching contraception in the mistaken belief that they cannot get pregnant past a certain age. Although fertility does wane, women can still get pregnant well into their thirties, forties and even fifties.

According to the Family Planning Association, abortion rates for women aged 40 to 44 match those for the under 16s, figures for England and Wales show.
In 2008, both of these groups had an abortion rate of four per 1,000 women.

There are many reasons why some women opt for an abortion, including birth abnormalities in the baby, which are more common when the mothers are older.
But FPA says its anecdotal evidence suggests some of the abortions are because women wrongly assumed they could not get pregnant because they were too old.
So be forewarned, do not ditch that contraceptive too soon...

The risk of Gout in Women increases with age, obesity, hypertension, diuretic and alcohol use

—Gout is a common and excruciatingly painful inflammatory arthritis caused by elevated uric acid levels in the blood. When too much uric acid builds up in joint fluid, uric acid crystals form and cause joint swelling and inflammation.
Historically, gout was seen as a male disease, however growing evidence suggests the disease is also a concern for older women.

Researchers from Boston University School of Medicine found that women with serum uric acid levels over 5 mg/dl had a significantly lower risk of developing gout than men, even though the Rochester Epidemiology project study found the incidence of gout has doubled among women over the past 20 years.

The research team led by Dr Hyon Choi, analyzed data from the Framingham Heart Study for 2,476 women and 1,951 men who had a complete follow-up history and who were free of gout at baseline.
This study, the first to examine the relationship between uric acid levels and gout risk in women, also evaluated purported risk factors for gout and found that increasing age, obesity, hypertension, alcohol use, and diuretic use to be among leading contributors for women.

However, researchers found only a stronger age effect among women placed them at higher risk factors for gout than men. The age-adjusted relative risk (RR) of gout in post-menopausal women was 4.18 and the RR for gout in women using hormone replacement therapy was 0.24. Other risk factors did not differ significantly between women and men.

They found that higher levels of uric acid in the blood increase the risk gout risk for women in a graded manner. The risk of gout among women with serum uric acid levels ≥8 mg/dl was 46 times higher than that among women whose levels were <5 mg/dl.

However, results show that overall, magnitude of the association between gout and uric acid blood levels among women was significantly lower than for men.

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