Higher baseline waist-to-hip ratio linked to poorer performance on all domain-specific cognitive outcomes at baseline
By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter
FRIDAY, Nov. 14, 2025 (HealthDay News) — For early postmenopausal women, central adiposity is a risk factor for domain-specific cognitive decline, according to a study published online Nov. 4 in Menopause.
Taryn T. James, Ph.D., from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and colleagues reanalyzed data from the Kronos Early Estrogen Prevention Study (KEEPS), in which 727 women (ages 42 to 58 years) who were <36 months postnatural menopause were randomly assigned to oral conjugated equine estrogens (o-CEE), transdermal 17-β-estradiol (t-E2), or placebo for 48 months. Cognitive tests were completed at baseline and at 18-, 36-, and 48-month postrandomization in the ancillary KEEPS-Cognitive and Affective (KEEPS-Cog) substudy. Four cognitive domain-specific factor scores were used to summarize cognitive variables: verbal learning and memory, auditory attention and working memory, visual attention and executive function, and speeded language and mental flexibility. Waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), a measure of central adiposity, was modeled as a covariate in models assessing associations of menopausal hormone therapy with cognitive functions.
The researchers observed an association for higher baseline WHR with poorer performance on all domain-specific cognitive outcomes at baseline and with changes in visual attention and executive function over time. For o-CEE x WHR and t-E2 x WHR, models including interaction effects were not significant.
“Addressing modifiable risk factors early and often is critical to maintaining optimal health and independence as women age,” Monica Christmas, M.D., associate medical director for The Menopause Society, said in a statement. “The metabolic and cognitive changes that commonly occur during and after the menopause transition often catch women off-guard and are more difficult to address after the diagnosis has been made. Instituting preventive lifestyle strategies before the menopause transition will result in longitudinal health gains and reduced morbidity and mortality.”
Several authors disclosed ties to the biopharmaceutical industry.
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