Bilateral Oophorectomy Could Increase a Woman's Risk for Dementia

Several earlier studies investigated the association between bilateral oophorectomy and dementia but showed inconsistent findings. In this new study involving nearly 25,000 women, the goal was not to simply investigate the prospective association between oophorectomy and the rate of incident dementia but also to determine whether the risk was affected by age at the time of surgery, hysterectomy, or use of hormone therapy.

On the basis of their results, the researchers concluded that bilateral, but not unilateral, oophorectomy was associated with an increased risk of dementia. However, they were not able to show whether this association was conditional with hysterectomy or hormone therapy use.

Study results are published in the article "Oophorectomy and rate of dementia: a prospective cohort study."

"These results are consistent with findings of prior studies showing a link between oophorectomy and dementia. The statistical power of the study was limited, which may explain the lack of effect of age or hormone therapy use on this association. Given the robust body of evidence suggesting potential long-term adverse effects associated with oophorectomy before the average age of menopause, risk-reducing oophorectomy should be limited to those women with an inherited high risk for cancer," says Dr. Stephanie Faubion, NAMS medical director.