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How’s your brain health today? 🧠 |
With the year winding down, take stock by asking yourself: How’s my focus? Am I feeling stressed? What’s my mood like? What can I do to make it better? |
That last question drives the wmnHealth team to learn and share the science of brain health. |
Today’s feature, for example, looks at the effects of estrogen on the female brain and how changes in estrogen levels influence the risk of neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s. It captures a shift toward thinking of menopause as a brain event as well as a reproductive one — and the need to adapt the way we care for ourselves as we age accordingly. |
We hope you’ll take time for yourself this holiday season, stay curious about how the brain works, and learn why it’s important to make brain health a priority. We’re excited to see you in 2024! |
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In this week’s edition: 📖 Read: Estrogen and the Brain: New clues about dementia risk in women 👓 See: The impacts of estrogen across a lifetime ✍️ Learn: Some of our favorite wmnHealth stories from 2023 |
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TOP OF MIND |
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Estrogen and the Brain: New clues about dementia risk in women |
Estrogen, the female sex hormone produced mainly in the ovaries, has a powerful effect on the brain, across a woman’s lifespan. As a master regulator, it is known for influencing a woman’s appetite, mood, and sleep. It also controls the body’s energy balance and metabolism, including in the brain, which is primarily fueled by glucose. So, what happens when estrogen levels begin to wane in midlife? |
Many of the changes experienced by females in the years leading up to menopause — hot flashes, fatigue, irritability, and weight gain — are brought on by fluctuating levels of estrogen. But the brain effects of falling levels of the hormone go far beyond those symptoms. |
Low estrogen increases the risk of dementia and may help explain why two-thirds of people with Alzheimer’s in the U.S., the most common type of dementia, are female. It may also heighten the risk of other neurodegenerative diseases, hasten their progression, or increase the level of disability associated with chronic conditions like multiple sclerosis. |
So, what do we know about the brain changes that occur during the menopause transition and beyond? And what’s the connection between estrogen and dementia? |
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Why gender inequality is a hidden driven of dementia Read story Beyond Statistics: The impact of neurodegenerative diseases on women Read story |
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PICTURING BRAIN HEALTH |
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STORIES OF THE YEAR |
Our small but mighty content team rounded up a few of our favorite stories of the year. |
| ![](https://mcusercontent.com/df5d05d5a5a667da596e8da02/images/4ba23a94-bd28-fd3c-85e3-b726bec0beb3.png) | “Building brain-friendly cities” is one of my favorite infographics because it is a reminder of how physical spaces can nurture our individual and collective mental health and wellbeing. Access to natural light, green space, communal spaces and active modes of transportation can make all the difference in keeping us healthy!
— Cat Lau, Artist and Science Communicator |
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| ![](https://mcusercontent.com/df5d05d5a5a667da596e8da02/images/110ef540-a9dd-9237-806b-f87501390425.png) | Writing “The hidden cost of Black hair” was an eye-opening experience. As a woman of color, I’ve long known that neuroscience has a race problem, but until I reported this piece on brain imaging technology, I didn’t realize how far this bias goes.
— Shafaq Zia, Science Writer |
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| ![](https://mcusercontent.com/df5d05d5a5a667da596e8da02/images/b1994090-5981-88f4-7852-99e297a986f2.png) | I loved reporting our feature story on exercise and the brain because I learned just how far exercise science has advanced toward understanding why exercise is so good for us – especially females. It was also highly motivating! Now, rarely a day goes by when I don’t think to myself: “Get moving!”
— Lindsay Borthwick, Content Strategy Lead |
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What we’re up to on social |
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| | | ☀️ Good news on women’s health is hard to come by. Yet there is reason to celebrate, especially when it comes to one of the most intractable areas of women’s health: the brain.... |
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