A possible link between menopause and Covid-19? It’s possible: researchers have shown that lower estrogen levels could put older women at increased risk of disease.
While men are at a greater risk of contracting a severe form of Covid-19 and dying from the disease than women, recent research has suggested that in women, infections and long-lasting symptoms may be more common in those who have gone through menopause, report The Guardian.
Such findings have raised the question of whether hormones such as estrogen may play a protective role – hormones which are at higher levels in women than in men, but decrease as women go through menopause.
Estrogens, a protection against Covid-19?
The research team also found that users of the combined oral contraceptive pill – which contains estrogen – had a lower risk of contracting Covid-19. In another study, the team found that women were more at risk of having a “long Covid” than men : Women aged 50 to 60 are more at risk of developing persistent symptoms.
Dr Louise Newson, menopause specialist and founder of the Menopause Charity agreed that there could be a number of reasons why postmenopausal women appear to be at the highest risk of developing “long-term coronavirus.” But she said there are a number of clues to suggest that hormones and Covid-19 are interacting, including many women with long-lasting Covid-19 have reported changes in their menstrual cycles after catching the virus, their symptoms being worse when their hormone levels are lowest.
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