BOSTON – A new study finds that early menopause, along with a higher risk of heart disease, may put women at a higher risk of developing dementia later in life.

Women are at higher risk of Alzheimer’s disease than men. So do people with risk factors for cardiovascular disease, such as high blood pressure, diabetes, smoking, and high cholesterol.

In the new study, published in the journal Neurology, researchers at the University of Toronto tested more than 16,000 male and female participants and found that women who reached menopause before age 49 and are also at higher risk for cardiovascular disease scored worse in thinking skills. was found to be low. And a memory test 3 years later.

The same results were not seen in women who subsequently went through menopause, and hormone therapy had no effect on the results.

They say early menopause can exacerbate the effects of cardiovascular risk on brain health.