Stroke risk in post menopausal women

Lower estrogen in post menopausal women increases the risk of stroke

A recent study finds a connection between decreased estrogen levels and a rise in stroke risk for post menopausal women. This study, published in the American Journal of Physiology Endocrinology and Metabolism has found that the immune cells of the brain, microglial help “clean up” the brain’s injured cells but also take healthy cells with it.

Risk of stroke in women may come down to a compound the body produces from estrogen known as 2-methoxyestradiol (2-ME).

2-ME helps prevent these cells from becoming too active–reducing a person’s stroke risk. Before menopause, women are at a lower risk of stroke than men. Once a woman’s body stops producing estrogen and estradiol levels decrease, their advantage goes away.

The good news for post menopausal women and others

Not only is there good news for post menopausal women, there is also good news for others. Those who have suffered from traumatic brain injury should also keep an eye on this research. 2-ME can be used in both women and men to help treat or prevent other traumatic brain events. It could even be used to treat chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). CTE is the injury we keep hearing about in professional sports like football. Work still needs to be done to confirm if 2-ME could be a useful treatment even though current research supports that it is safe. Researchers have also found 2-ME capable of anti-cancer activity and useful in models of hypertension.

Source: Study may explain why stroke risk in women changes after menopause – Medical News Today