Losing Both Ovaries Could Come at a Serious Cost to The Brain, Researchers Find
Science Alert
https://www.sciencealert.com/losing-both-ovaries-could-come-at-a-serious-cost-to-the-brain-researchers-find
Health
27 June 2024
By Carly Cassella
EXCERPTS below: (click News Link above to view entire story)
The ovaries are involved in far more than just reproduction... they also pump out hormones that help keep a person's heart, bones, brain, and immune system healthy...
...removal of both ovaries can have overlooked health consequences in the long run.
Recent research has found that patients who've had both of their ovaries removed before they hit menopause face a higher risk of cognitive impairment and dementia later in life.
While testosterone is often thought of as a male hormone, it is also produced by the ovaries, and it plays a critical role in the female body.
If the ovaries are taken out of the body before menopause, the sudden loss of testosterone could have negative effects on the brain's development.
In cases of cancer, it's vital that the ovaries are excised to save the patient, but bilateral oophorectomies are also commonly used to treat endometriosis, ovarian cysts, and non-cancerous fibroids.
For children and adolescents, removal of both ovaries for benign conditions may be 'unnecessary' and come with lifelong risks.
There are numerous reasons the ovaries should be spared when possible. Protecting the brain from possible harm is just one of them.
The study was published in Alzheimer's and Dementia.
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This is a really interesting scientific study. It seems very credible to me and shows up a number of important issue. The one thing I draw from the paper though, is that it shows a major trend of brain degradation in women who had ovaries removed pre-menopausal. The study findings do not really go post menopausal.
For someone AFAB it probably should be a consideration when looking at undergoing a hysterectomy. Maybe something to talk to your doctors or surgeons about.
The one thing that I think needs further study though is that no discernible difference was found in women with HRT to those who went without it.. Now, in most of western medicine, the levels of HRT given to cis-women post hysterectomy is significantly lower than the levels given to transwomen (a generalisation, but may be important).. therefore, it is not clear from this study what effects could be alleviated if a higher dose HRT was applied or even a normative regime including the effects of progesterone.
Therefore, in my opinon, the results can not really draw any correlations on anyone AMAB who transitioned..
An interesting study like this done on AMAB people, who underwent male HRT or Female HRT to see the effects would be really interesting. The endocrinology of the gonads is seemingly always over-simplified by doctors who treat people with issues there.. some real data-driven evidence could be very eye-opening.
Thanks for sharing the link.. the link to the paper is in the article if you are so inclined to read the source.