Testosterone 'may not ease brain fog and memory problems in menopausal women after all'
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Testosterone may not ease menopause-related brain fog and memory problems after all, research suggests.
Social media is flooded with claims the hormone can treat symptoms – with women even posing as men to obtain prescriptions online.
While some users have reported benefits, experts have now suggested there is not enough evidence to prove testosterone eases these issues.
Researchers at University College London (UCL) reviewed five studies examining whether testosterone boosts learning and memory in post-menopausal women.
Some 244 volunteers with an average age of 57 were given either a placebo dummy drug or the hormone at varying levels over four to 26 weeks.
No significant improvements in cognitive function were shown among those taking testosterone.
'The findings should be interpreted as insufficient to establish an effect, rather than as evidence of no effect,' the researchers wrote in the journal Reproduction and Fertility.
And Professor Aimee Spector, senior author of the study, said more research is needed to understand any link between testosterone and brain health.
Social media is flooded with claims the hormone can treat symptoms – with women even posing as men to obtain prescriptions online
Professor Spector said: 'Social media is flooded with claims that testosterone improves memory and brain fog, and we hear of many women taking testosterone specifically to manage these symptoms during the menopause.
'While there may be some anecdotal evidence for this in perimenopausal women, we cannot claim testosterone improves cognition during menopause without further evidence.
'More research is needed to understand any links between testosterone and brain health.'
Corresponding author Dr Alexandra Faulkner, from UCL's division of psychology and language sciences, added: 'Our review found that the available evidence is limited and insufficient to determine the effect of testosterone therapy on cognition in women during the menopause transition and post menopause.
'This reflects a lack of sufficient evidence rather than evidence of no effect.'
The UCL team also found testosterone levels do not appear to change sharply during menopause, instead declining gradually from a woman's mid-20s or early 30s.
About 13million women are estimated to be peri or menopausal in the UK.
The NHS says testosterone gel or cream can help improve low libido for some in the menopause.
Meanwhile, experts at Cardiff University are studying whether adding testosterone to standard HRT can reduce menopausal symptoms beyond its effect on libido.
The trial, involving 400 women and due to conclude in 2029, aims to see whether testosterone impacts cognition, exercise and energy levels.
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