Women who have a Bilateral Salpingo Oophorectomy could be at higher risk of dementia (Image: Getty) Women who undergo a common yet invasive surgery before hitting menopause could be at an increased risk of dementia and general cognitive decline, according to new research. The study suggests that the prevalence of all forms of dementia is higher in women, with twice as many cases of Alzheimer's disease compared to men. This groundbreaking research could provide scientists with a deeper understanding of the underlying risk factors that make women more susceptible to these neurodegenerative diseases.
The study scrutinised the brains of women who had their ovaries removed before reaching menopause and discovered a significant decrease in their brain health. A reduction in the brain's white matter can lead to cognitive decline and is closely linked to the effects of dementia. After analysing the MRI results of over 1000 women, researchers from Wake Forest University identified a connection between dementia and women who had undergone Bilateral Salpingo Oophorectomy (BSO), a procedure involving the removal of the ovaries.
Typically, women opt for this surgery pre-menopause to mitigate the future risk of ovarian cancer, a disease that claims the lives of more than 4000 Brits annually. Other reasons may include endometriosis and ovarian cysts. However, this latest research indicates that this routine procedure could have subsequent implications on brain health years down the line, re.
