- With Mayo Clinic gynecologist and obstetrician
Mary Gallenberg, M.D.
read biographyclose windowBiography of
Mary Gallenberg, M.D.
Mary Gallenberg, M.D.
Dr. Mary Gallenberg is board certified by the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology and by the American Board of Internal Medicine in internal medicine and medical oncology. She is credentialed as a menopause practitioner by the North American Menopause Society.
An Antigo, Wis., native, Dr. Gallenberg is a consultant in the Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology at Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn., and an assistant professor at the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine.
Dr. Gallenberg has been with Mayo Clinic since 1990. She was on the Mayo Clinic Women's HealthSource editorial board and has been honored for excellence in teaching. She also won a Mayo Clinic Excellence Through Teamwork award.
Risk factors (2)
- Oophorectomy (ovary removal): A risk factor for dementia?
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Tests and diagnosis (2)
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Treatments and drugs (4)
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Lifestyle and home remedies (1)
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Alternative medicine (5)
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- Phosphatidylserine supplements: Can they improve memory?
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Prevention (1)
- Alzheimer's disease: Can exercise prevent memory loss?
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Question
Oophorectomy (ovary removal): A risk factor for dementia?
If I have my ovaries removed before I'm 50, will I be more likely to have dementia when I get older?
Answer
from Mary Gallenberg, M.D.
You might, but more research is needed to know for sure. Ovary removal (oophorectomy), often done in conjunction with hysterectomy, has a dramatic effect on your body before menopause. The abrupt loss of your ovaries from an oophorectomy is also called surgical menopause, because it triggers all the changes of menopause.
Your ovaries produce most of your body's estrogen, a reproductive hormone that has many functions beyond regulating your menstrual cycle. Estrogen plays a role in bone and heart health and may even protect your brain from age-related changes leading to cognitive impairment and dementia.
Some small studies have suggested that early oophorectomy, or surgical menopause, may increase your risk of dementia or other cognitive function deficits. Some research suggests that you may help offset this risk by taking hormone replacement therapy (HRT) until you reach a natural age of menopause. However, some larger randomized, controlled studies have not shown an increased risk of dementia after oophorectomy.
All studies thus far have had design problems that make it difficult to say with certainty whether oophorectomy will increase your risk of dementia and whether HRT is necessary. More research will be needed before doctors can know for sure.
That's why it's important to talk at length with your doctor before you have an oophorectomy. Don't make a decision until you know:
- What condition the surgery is treating
- What other treatment options there are
- How extensive your surgery will be
- Whether you're close to menopause
- Whether you'll be a candidate for HRT
For some women, oophorectomy is worth the long-term risks. If you carry one of the genetic mutations that make you likely to develop breast and ovarian cancers, for example, this surgery may save your life — even if you don't take HRT.
Next questionAlzheimer's: Can a head injury increase my risk?
- Shuster LT, et al. Prophylactic oophorectomy in pre-menopausal women and long term health — A review. Menopause International. 2008;14:111.
- Vearncombe KJ, et al. Review article: Is cognitive functioning detrimentally affected after early, induced menopause? Menopause, 2009;16:188.
- Rocca WA, et al. Increased risk of cognitive impairment or dementia in women who underwent oophorectomy before menopause. Neurology. 2007;69:1074.
- Henderson VW, et al. Surgical versus natural menopause: Cognitive issues. Menopause. 2007;14:572.
- Gallenberg MM (expert opinion) Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. July 14, 2009.
