My local paper printed an article from the AP yesterday, Early ovarian surgery linked to dementia By MALCOLM RITTER, AP Science Writer. Read the full article here.
Mr. Ritter writes that “women who have their ovaries removed before menopause run a heightened risk of developing dementia or other mental problems later in life – unless they take estrogen until age 50, a new study suggests.”
“Hormone therapy has been linked to a greater risk of dementia and heart attacks when given to women after age 65. But recent research indicates that when given before menopause or just afterward, it doesn’t raise heart attack risk and may protect against dementia.
The study did not include women who had ovaries removed as part of cancer treatment, and Rocca said the results do not apply to such women. The work was published Wednesday in the online edition of the journal Neurology.”
SO – we are now left with a bad option, and another bad option. Run the risk of cancer or dementia, or both.
Overall, the study found impairment or dementia in 150 of 1,489 women who’d had ovaries removed, versus 98 of 1,472 women who hadn’t. That indicates nearly a 50 percent increase in risk.
On the Net:
Neurology journal: http://www.neurology.org