New research suggests that menopause may be linked to a loss of grey matter in the brain, which could help explain why women face a higher risk of dementia compared to men. Scientists from the University of Cambridge analysed data from 124,780 women to explore how menopause affects the brain and whether hormone replacement therapy (HRT) might help protect against cognitive decline.

Menopause May Be Linked to Changes in Brain Structure

The researchers found that menopause was associated with reduced levels of grey matter, an essential part of the brain involved in thinking, memory, emotional processing and movement. The findings also noted that this stage of life is often accompanied by anxiety, depression and sleep problems. Previous research has already shown that menopause can affect cognitive abilities such as attention, language, learning and memory.

How Menopause And HRT Affect Thinking Speed

Published in the journal Psychological Medicine, the research divided participants into three groups: women who had not yet reached menopause, post-menopausal women who had never used HRT, and post-menopausal women who were taking HRT. Participants answered questions about sleep patterns, anxiety and depression, and some completed cognitive tests measuring memory and reaction time.

Around 11,000 women also underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans, allowing scientists to closely examine brain structure. On average, menopause began at age 49 among the participants, and women who started HRT typically began treatment at around the same age.

Sleep, Fatigue and Mental Health Changes

The findings showed that post-menopausal women were more likely to struggle with insomnia, get less sleep overall and feel more fatigued. Interestingly, women using HRT reported the highest levels of tiredness across all three groups, even though they slept for a similar amount of time as those not taking HRT.

All post-menopausal women, regardless of whether they were using hormone therapy, reported greater fatigue compared to women who had not yet experienced menopause. Researchers also observed that this stage of life had an impact on cognitive function.

Dr Katharina Zuhlsdorff, from the psychology department at the University of Cambridge, explained: “As we age, our reaction times naturally slow down. This happens to both women and men and is part of normal ageing. You might still reach the right answer to a quiz question, but younger people tend to respond faster. Our findings suggest menopause speeds up this slowing process, while HRT seems to slow it down slightly.”

Brain Regions Linked to Memory and Emotion Affected

The study identified significant reductions in grey matter volume among post-menopausal women. These changes were seen in the hippocampus, which plays a key role in learning and memory, the entorhinal cortex, which supports memory formation and spatial awareness, and the anterior cingulate cortex, which helps regulate attention and emotions.

Menopause As A Period of Increased Vulnerability

Professor Barbara Sahakian, the senior author of the study from the department of psychiatry, said: “The brain areas where we observed these changes are the same regions commonly affected by Alzheimer’s disease. Menopause may make women more vulnerable later in life. While it does not explain everything, it could help clarify why dementia affects nearly twice as many women as men.”

Michelle Dyson, chief executive of the Alzheimer’s Society, noted that women account for roughly two-thirds of people living with Alzheimer’s disease in the UK. “Although we do not yet fully understand why women are more affected than men, hormones are thought to play a role,” she said.

“This large-scale study strengthens evidence that menopause has an impact on the brain, including physical changes such as reduced brain volume. However, without long-term follow-up to see whether participants later develop dementia, we cannot be certain that these menopause-related brain changes directly increase dementia risk.

“There are steps people can take today to lower their dementia risk, including regular exercise, avoiding smoking and cutting back on alcohol. Anyone concerned about themselves or a loved one can use the Alzheimer’s Society dementia symptoms checklist as a starting point before speaking to a GP.”

The research also found that women taking HRT were more likely to report mental health challenges. However, the analysis suggested these women already had poorer psychological wellbeing before starting hormone treatment.

Dr Christelle Langley, from the psychiatry department, said: “Menopause is something most women will experience, and it can be a major life change whether or not HRT is used. During this time, healthy habits such as staying active, exercising regularly and eating a balanced diet become especially important to help reduce some of its effects.”

Dr Louise Newson, a GP and women’s hormone specialist, added: “Many women notice changes in memory and concentration around menopause. This study suggests these symptoms may have a biological explanation rather than being brushed off as stress or ageing, highlighting menopause as a key window for protecting brain health and providing personalised care.”

“Smoking is injurious to health.” We see this warning in theatres and on billboards, but for many, it’s become background noise. We tend to think of smoking as a “future threat”, a cough, some breathlessness, or perhaps a scary diagnosis years down the line.

But did you know that the cigarette in your hand is also quietly sabotaging something far more immediate: your hormonal health.

The Gender Gap In The Smoke

While smoking is often viewed through a male lens, the reality is shifting. In fact, approximately, women comprise about 20% of the more than 1 billion smokers globally, and the biological toll they pay is unique.

Usually the impact of smoking is focused more on the lungs and the heart. But one of the most overlooked victims of tobacco is the endocrine system, especially in women.

A Direct Hit To Your Menstrual Cycle

Cigarette smoke is a cocktail of thousands of toxic chemicals, including tar, nicotine, carbon monoxide, and poisonous metals. These don't just stay in the lungs; they hijack the hypothalamic–pituitary–ovarian (HPO) axis, which is the delicate "command center" that regulates your period.

Nicotine triggers a surge in stress hormones like cortisol and catecholamines. When these are chronically elevated, they disrupt the steady, rhythmic release of hormones that tell your body when to ovulate. The result?

• Irregular or Shorter Cycles: Your body’s natural rhythm is thrown off-beat.
• Painful Periods (Dysmenorrhea): Nicotine narrows your blood vessels (vasoconstriction), reducing blood flow to the uterus and making cramps significantly more intense.

The Effect of Smoking On Estrogen

Estrogen is the powerhouse hormone responsible for regulating the menstrual cycle, maintaining bone density, protecting heart health, and much more.

Smoking acts as an "anti-estrogen." By draining your estrogen, smoking can trigger early menopause, often by one to two years, and increase your long-term risk of osteoporosis.

For those trying to conceive, the toxins reduce your "ovarian reserve" by 20% (your egg count), making the journey to motherhood much harder.

The Road To Recovery: Recalibrating Your System

But the good news? Our bodies are remarkably resilient. Within weeks of quitting, your circulation improves, stress hormones stabilize, and your endocrine system begins to regain its equilibrium.

Many patients report more predictable cycles and less painful periods after quitting smoking.

Don't Rely On Willpower Alone

Quitting is a medical challenge, not just a test of character. If you’re overwhelmed, connect with your doctor on using the many tools available that can help you in quitting, such as:

• Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT): Gums, patches, and lozenges provide controlled nicotine without the toxic smoke. Unlike smoking, which delivers nicotine in rapid spikes along with thousands of harmful substances, NRT helps reduce cravings and supports quitting with far less harm.

• Prescription Support: Medications reduce the "reward" your brain gets from nicotine.

• Behavioral Support: Counselling significantly increases your chances of staying smoke-free for good.

Your hormones work tirelessly every single month to keep your body in harmony. Every cigarette disrupts that dance; every "no" helps restore it.

Your body’s natural rhythm is worth protecting. Perhaps today is the day you finally return the favor.

Dhurandhar 2 actor Mustafa Ahmed, who played Rizwan in the film, opened up about growing up with dyslexia. He shared that he struggled with reading and writing, but sports and dancing came naturally to him.

"I was not a bright kid. I was dyslexic and came from an Afghan background. But I was always physical, I was good at sports, and I picked up dancing naturally. Anything that involved using my body, I was good at it,” said Mustafa, who trained has Hrithik Roshan, in the Alpha Coach podcast.

What Is Dyslexia?

Dyslexia is a learning difficulty that affects reading, writing, and spelling. However, it has nothing to do with intelligence.

Common signs of dyslexia include:

• Difficulty reading or recognizing words
• Trouble with spelling and writing
• Confusing similar-looking letters (like b/d or p/q)
• Slow reading speed and poor comprehension
• Difficulty following written instructions

This means that children with dyslexia are simply wired differently and may need to focus on other learning areas.

How Did Mustafa Overcome Dyslexia?

Mustafa did exactly that. He focused on training hard and eventually worked with big stars like Hrithik Roshan. That’s when he caught the attention of Aditya Dhar, the maker of Dhurandhar. Aditya saw potential in him and encouraged him to pursue acting, helping launch his journey in the industry.

Growing up, Mustafa, who revealed in an interview, faced challenges in school due to his learning difficulties. Tasks like reading scripts or memorizing lines may not have come easily at first. However, with determination, support, and self-belief, he was able to overcome these barriers.

However, today as a rising star, his story is a reminder that with the right support, early diagnosis, and self-belief, children with dyslexia can truly thrive.

Signs and symptoms of dyslexia

Doctors say signs of dyslexia can look different at each age. It happens because your brain grows and learns in new ways as you get older. You may notice your child has:

• Has difficulty learning or recognizing letters
• Has trouble rhyming words
• Mixes up words that sound similar
• Find it difficult to read simple words after learning letter sounds
• Have trouble remembering letters, even after lots of practice
• Avoiding tasks that have to do with reading
• Feeling sick or anxious before school or homework time
• Struggling in school

Can You Treat Dyslexia?

Doctors say even though dyslexia is a lifelong condition, it can be effectively managed with the help of interventions like:

• Phonics-based reading programs
• One-on-one tutoring
• Speech and language therapy
• Use of assistive technology like audiobooks and text-to-speech tools

With these strategies, individuals with dyslexia can improve their reading skills and excel in their chosen fields.

Mel Schilling, an Australian psychologist and a dating expert died at 54. Her husband Gareth Brisbane announced the death in a social media statement.

What Happened To Mel Schilling?

Schilling was diagnosed with colon cancer in December 2023. Just two weeks ago she said that the disease had spread to her brain. "I honestly don't know how long I have left," she wrote.

Read: What Is The Correct Age To Get A Colonoscopy?

According to her husband, she died "peacefully, surrounded by love". “This is a woman who, through two years of chemotherapy, when she could barely lift her head from the pillow, never complained and never stopped showing courage, grace, compassion and empathy, and never missed a day of filming,” Brisbane wrote.

She was also an expert on 'Married at First Sight Australia' for 12 years and because of her illness she stepped down as a dating expert.

How Does Cancer Spread To Other Parts Of The Body?

Schilling said that her cancer had spread to her brain. as per the Cancer Research UK, cancer cells can spread to other parts of the body through bloodstream or lymphatic system. They can then start to grow into new tumors. The National cancer Institute notes that cancer cells spread through the body in a series of steps, which include:

• growing into, or invading, nearby normal tissue
• moving through the walls of nearby lymph nodes or blood vessels
• traveling through the lymphatic system and bloodstream to other parts of the body
• stopping in small blood vessels at a distant location, invading the blood vessel walls, and moving into the surrounding tissue
• growing in this tissue until a tiny tumor forms
• causing new blood vessels to grow, which creates a blood supply that allows the metastatic tumor to continue growing

What Is Colon Cancer?

Colon (colorectal) cancer begins when small growths called polyps form on the inner lining of the colon or rectum. Over time, changes in the DNA of these cells can cause the polyps to become cancerous.

As abnormal cells multiply, they replace healthy cells and eventually form a mass known as a tumor. This process develops slowly, often taking up to ten years for a precancerous polyp to turn into cancer and begin showing symptoms.

Colon cancer poses serious health risks because cancerous cells can invade healthy tissues. Over time, they may break away and spread to other parts of the body, making detection more difficult since the symptoms can resemble other conditions.

How Can You Get Screened For Colon Cancer?

You can get examined by a colonoscopy. A colonoscopy is a 15 to 60 minute medical procedure that is used to examine the entire inner lining of the large intestine, which includes rectum and colon for abnormalities, such as polyps, inflammation, or cancer. A doctor uses a colonoscope, which is a thin, flexible tube with a camera to take images, remove polyps, or take issue samples.

Most health experts, including federal guidelines and the American Cancer Society, recommend that people at average risk for colorectal cancer start screening at age 45. This usually means getting a colonoscopy once every 10 years, or opting for stool-based tests every one to three years. These guidelines also play a role in whether insurance companies cover the tests.