Neurovascular-Nuggets_ Menopause, Brain Blood Flow, and Cerebrovascular Risk

Main Points: - This cross-sectional MRI study looked at cerebral blood flow (CBF) in premenopausal, perimenopausal, and postmenopausal women compared to similar-aged men. - Premenopausal women had higher CBF in whole brain, gray matter, and white matter compared to the other groups. - Perimenopausal and postmenopausal women had more white matter hyperintensities (WMHs) than premenopausal women and men. - Multivariate regression analysis showed menopause status and the interaction of age and menopause status significantly affected CBF. - Premenopausal women showed slight CBF increases with age, while peri- and postmenopausal women showed CBF declines. Clinical Implications: - The findings suggest alterations in brain perfusion begin during perimenopause, possibly due to increased WMHs. - Monitoring brain perfusion changes in perimenopausal women could help identify those at higher cerebrovascular disease risk. - Strategies to maintain better brain perfusion during the menopausal transition may help reduce future cerebrovascular risk. - CBF could be a useful neuroimaging biomarker for cerebrovascular risk during menopause. - Longitudinal studies are needed to clarify how menopause-related CBF changes correlate to outcomes. Read more at hashtag#neurovascularnuggets https://lnkd.in/dRNp95kY