Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common type of dementia, and two-thirds of all individuals living with AD are women. There are also striking sex differences in the clinical severity of AD and the burden of AD proteins in the brain. However, why these sex differences exist is not well understood. Menopause is a major endocrine transition period that is increasingly recognized as a critical window of biological vulnerability influencing the development of AD. 

In this presentation, Dr. Amalia Peterson discusses cognitive symptoms that commonly occur during the menopausal transition and their significance. She also reviews evidence for the role of menopause in the development of AD and related dementias, including the impact of age at menopause, type of menopause (natural versus artificial), and menopausal hormone therapy use. The presentation also describes possible implications of menopause and its associated changes in sex hormones on the treatment of AD and related dementias.   

https://www.vumc.org/vmac/person/amalia-peterson-md