A new study published in the medical journal Neurology explores the connection between menopause and brain changes in women. The study found that “Women who have gone through menopause may have more of a brain biomarker called white matter hyperintensities than premenopausal women or men of the same age.” White matter hyperintensities are “tiny lesions visible on brain scans that become more common with age or with uncontrolled high blood pressure” and have been connected to an increased risk of stroke, Alzheimer’s disease, and cognitive decline. The results of the study suggest that more research is required to understand “how menopause may be related to the vascular health of the brain” and “to account for different health trajectories for men and women, and menopausal status.”