Sixteen menopause-linked blood molecules tied to 15% higher Alzheimer’s risk

Sixteen blood molecules changed during menopause, and higher levels in older women were associated with poorer memory and a higher Alzheimer’s risk. The association was linked to a 15% increase in risk.

The UCSF findings connect menopause-related blood proteomics, the measurement of proteins and other molecules in blood, to brain aging and dementia research. They add biological evidence to work on estradiol decline, inflammation, and cognitive health in women, but do not establish that the blood changes cause Alzheimer’s.