All of the study subjects had MRI brain scans done to calculate the amount of white matter hyperintensities.
After adjusting for age and vascular risk factors, such as high blood pressure and diabetes, the research team noticed that postmenopausal women had more of these brain biomarkers.
“In people 45 and older, postmenopausal women had an average total white matter hyperintensities volume of 0.94ml compared to 0.72ml for men,” the research explained.
However, premenopausal women and men of a similar age did not have a difference in the average amount of white matter hyperintensities.
Plus, there was no difference between postmenopausal and premenopausal women using hormone therapy.