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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Sep 24, 2025

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Sex Differences in Memory: Do Female Reproductive Factors Explain the Differences?

Jie Li^1,2, Wenting Hao^1,2, Chunying Fu^1,2

¹Centre for Health Management and Policy Research, School of Public Health, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, China.

Frontiers in Endocrinology

|May 9, 2022

Summary

Postmenopausal women show higher risks of objective and subjective memory impairment compared to men. These differences in objective memory are influenced by reproductive factors like age at menarche and menopause.

Keywords:

cognitive function cognitive impairment estrogen menarche menopause

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Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Gerontology
Epidemiology

Background:

Sex differences in memory impairment are not well-established.
The influence of female reproductive factors on these differences remains unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate sex differences in objective and subjective memory impairment among postmenopausal women and age/education-matched men.
To explore the association between female reproductive factors and memory impairment in women.

Main Methods:

Utilized data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study.
Employed a case-control matching method for 3,218 postmenopausal women and men.
Assessed memory using a three-word recall task and self-rated questions, analyzed with Poisson regression.

Main Results:

Women exhibited higher risks of both objective (RR 1.22) and subjective (RR 1.51) memory impairment compared to men.
Objective memory impairment risk in women varied linearly with age at menarche (younger age, higher risk).
Risk of objective memory impairment showed a U-shaped pattern with age at menopause and reproductive period.

Conclusions:

Postmenopausal women face increased risks of objective and subjective memory impairment.
Reproductive factors significantly modify objective memory impairment risks in women, offering insights into cognitive aging mechanisms.
Findings can inform targeted dementia prevention strategies for older adults.