Women At Greater Risk for Brain Lesions
Alarmingly, the German investigations demonstrated that these hyperintensities accelerate with age in everyone, but they increase significantly faster in women. Dr. Breteler and her colleagues examined 3,410 people with an average age of 54. MRI brain scans showed that the postmenopausal women’s brains contained more hyperintensities than men of a similar age. In people aged 45 and older, postmenopausal women had an average total white matter hyperintensities volume of 0.94 ml compared to 0.72 ml for men. [1] Exactly why postmenopausal women experience this increase in hyperintensities has not been explained. And according to German scientists, whether women have had hormone replacement therapy (HRT) does not seem to either positively or negatively affect the development of hyperintensities.Lower Your Risk of Hyperintensities
Among the most important things you can do to lower your risk of suffering these brain issues is to keep your weight down. Research shows that folks who carry a lot of extra pounds around their waist also have a greater burden of hyperintensities in their brains. One reason obesity increases these brain lesions, according to a study conducted by scientists in the Netherlands and Germany, is the greater amount of inflammation that occurs in people who are overweight.[2] And these researchers also point out that along with the rising number of hyperintensities, being overweight leads to other cognitive-threatening problems in the brain’s white matter – the part of the brain that helps coordinate communications among neurons in different brain regions. Eating the Mediterranean diet is another way to lower your risk of accumulating many hyperintensities. This diet emphasizes consuming fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes (beans, soy, and lentils), fish, and extra virgin olive oil. It limits the consumption of red meat, refined grains, and sweets and includes only moderate alcohol. A study by researchers at the University of Miami and Columbia University involved about a thousand people living in New York City found that those whose diets resembled the Mediterranean diet most closely had the fewest hyperintensities. [3] They believe that the relatively large amount of monounsaturated fat in the Mediterranean diet (this type of fat is predominant in olive oil) is an essential factor in lowering the risk of brain lesions. Other factors affecting the chances of developing hyperintensities include:- High blood pressure. Many studies show that having uncontrolled hypertension leads to a more significant accumulation of hyperintensities. [4] Fortunately, there's a simple secret to controlling high blood pressure and it has nothing to do with your doctor.
- Deficiencies of vitamin D and folate. Many people do not get enough of either of these nutrients, which are critical to the health of the heart, brain, and immune system. Vitamin D (cholecalciferol) is not just a bone supplement, it's essential to maintaining the health of almost every system in your body, from your brain to your cardiovascular system. Folate (vitamin B9) is just as important. Deficiency of folate is linked to memory loss and increased risk of death. Just about everyone should be supplementing with both of these nutrients. [5],[6]
My Takeaway
While women can’t do anything to stop menopause, the new research reinforces what we’ve written about for years in this newsletter: Inflammation is dangerous to your memory. Eating an anti-inflammatory diet, exercising regularly, sleeping well, and managing your stress can all go a long way to lowering the levels of inflammation that contribute to the development of hyperintensities that can lead to dementia. In other words, your lifestyle matters, so make smart choices. The consensus of these studies once again demonstrates the benefits of leading a healthy lifestyle. That’s your best defense against a wide range of problems – and your best bet for keeping your brain functioning at its best.- Lohner V, Pehlivan G, Sanroma G, Miloschewski A, Schirmer MD, Stöcker T, Reuter M, Breteler MMB. Relation Between Sex, Menopause, and White Matter Hyperintensities: The Rhineland Study. Neurology. 2022 Aug 30;99(9):e935-e943. doi: 10.1212/WNL.0000000000200782. Epub 2022 Jun 29. PMID: 35768207; PMCID: PMC9502737. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35768207/
- Lampe L, Zhang R, Beyer F, Huhn S, Kharabian Masouleh S, Preusser S, Bazin PL, Schroeter ML, Villringer A, Witte AV. Visceral obesity relates to deep white matter hyperintensities via inflammation. Ann Neurol. 2019 Feb;85(2):194-203. doi: 10.1002/ana.25396. PMID: 30556596; PMCID: PMC6590485. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6590485/
- Gardener H, Scarmeas N, Gu Y, Boden-Albala B, Elkind MS, Sacco RL, DeCarli C, Wright CB. Mediterranean diet and white matter hyperintensity volume in the Northern Manhattan Study. Arch Neurol. 2012 Feb;69(2):251-6. doi: 10.1001/archneurol.2011.548. PMID: 22332193; PMCID: PMC3281550. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3281550/
- Wartolowska KA, Webb AJS. Midlife blood pressure is associated with the severity of white matter hyperintensities: analysis of the UK Biobank cohort study. Eur Heart J. 2021 Feb 14;42(7):750-757. doi: 10.1093/eurheartj/ehaa756. PMID: 33238300; PMCID: PMC7882359. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33238300/
- Scott TM, Tucker KL, Bhadelia A, Benjamin B, Patz S, Bhadelia R, Liebson E, Price LL, Griffith J, Rosenberg I, Folstein MF. Homocysteine and B vitamins relate to brain volume and white-matter changes in geriatric patients with psychiatric disorders. Am J Geriatr Psychiatry. 2004 Nov-Dec;12(6):631-8. doi: 10.1176/appi.ajgp.12.6.631. PMID: 15545331. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15545331/
- Buell JS, Dawson-Hughes B, Scott TM, Weiner DE, Dallal GE, Qui WQ, Bergethon P, Rosenberg IH, Folstein MF, Patz S, Bhadelia RA, Tucker KL. 25-Hydroxyvitamin D, dementia, and cerebrovascular pathology in elders receiving home services. Neurology. 2010 Jan 5;74(1):18-26. doi: 10.1212/WNL.0b013e3181beecb7. Epub 2009 Nov 25. PMID: 19940273; PMCID: PMC2809024. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19940273/
