Reproductive hormones in relation to white matter hyperintensity volumes among midlife women.
Rebecca C ThurstonYuefang ChangMinjie WuEmma M HarrisonHoward J AizensteinCarol A DerbyEmma Barinas-MitchellPauline M MakiPublished in: Alzheimer's & dementia : the journal of the Alzheimer's Association (2024)
Despite widespread belief that sex hormones are important to women's brain health, little work has considered how these hormones in women relate to white matter hyperintensities (WMH), a major indicator of cerebral small vessel disease. We considered relations of estradiol (E2), estrone (E1), and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) to WMH in midlife women. Higher E2 and E1 were associated with lower whole-brain WMH volume (WMHV), and higher FSH with higher whole-brain WMHV. Associations of E1 and FSH, but not E2, to WMHV persisted with adjustment for cardiovascular disease risk factors. Findings underscore the importance of E2 and FSH to women's cerebrovascular health.
Keyphrases
- white matter
- polycystic ovary syndrome
- cardiovascular disease
- pregnancy outcomes
- risk factors
- public health
- healthcare
- cervical cancer screening
- multiple sclerosis
- resting state
- breast cancer risk
- cerebral ischemia
- metabolic syndrome
- pregnant women
- functional connectivity
- risk assessment
- health information
- skeletal muscle