A study reviewing the health of thousands of women decades after undergoing surgical
ovary removal, or
oophorectomy, indicates that ovary excision prior to
menopause is linked to increased risk of dementia and
Parkinson's disease. Experts theorize that
estrogen, a female sex hormone produced by the ovaries, plays some role in protecting the brain from toxins that lead to nerve cell death. Estrogen replacement therapy was found to effectively reduce the risk of cognitive decline following oophorectomy.
