Reproductive life stages and cognitive outcomes: a systematic review in Latin American and Caribbean women
Abstract
Reproductive life stages, menopausal symptoms, and hormonal exposures are increasingly recognized as potential determinants of cognitive outcomes in women. However, these associations remain largely understudied in Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) populations. In this systematic review, we identified 18 observational studies published between 2003 and 2025. Of these, 16 were conducted across 13 LAC countries and two were conducted among latina women in the United States. Evidence was organized across four reproductive life stages domains: reproductive history, menopausal hormone therapy use, type of menopause and menopausal symptoms, and postmenopausal factors. Most LAC studies were cross-sectional and demonstrated substantial methodological heterogeneity. Across studies, shorter reproductive span, earlier menopause, higher parity, surgical menopause, and greater menopausal symptom burden were generally associated with poorer cognitive performance or higher odds of mild cognitive impairment. Some studies suggested favorable associations between menopausal hormone therapy use and cognitive outcomes. Postmenopausal factors, such as sarcopenia and obesity, as well as a longer duration of menopause, were predominantly linked to poorer cognitive outcomes. Only one populationbased cohort evaluated incident dementia, underscoring the scarcity of longitudinal evidence in the region. Overall, the evidence suggests that reproductive life stages in LAC women are meaningfully associated with cognitive outcomes, reflecting the influence of hormonal transitions, menopausal characteristics, and postmenopausal health within distinctive regional contexts. However, the predominance of cross-sectional designs and limited regional representativity, coupled with a lack of integrated physiological indicators, reveal a substantial knowledge gap. Longitudinal and regionally representative cohorts incorporating standardized assessments of reproductive life stages alongside comprehensive cognitive measures are essential to understanding how reproductive life stages shape cognitive outcomes in LAC women.
Related
- Acclimatization potential in stress tolerant Caribbean corals - outcomes of a 5 year cross-shelf reciprocal transplant experiment
- Season-long head acceleration exposure, prior contact-sport history, and cognitive performance in British amateur American football players
- Effects of Dietary Glycine Supplementation on Reproductive Outcomes and Early Piglet Growth in Local Black Gilts: Associations with Placental Traits and Maternal Gut Microbiota-Metabolome Profiles.
- Effects of body condition score and parity on reproductive and health outcomes in Hanwoo cows.
- Associations of Blood Lipid Traits with Cognitive-Related Outcomes and Their Sensitivity to APOE-Region Instrumental Variables: A Mendelian Randomization and Colocalization Study
BibTeX
@article{marindiaz2026reproductive,
title = {{Reproductive life stages and cognitive outcomes: a systematic review in Latin American and Caribbean women}},
author = {Nickole Marín-Díaz and Sofia Binetti and Jaime Cañas and Carolina Panesso and Javier Villacreses and Paulina Orellana and Carolina Gonzalez-Silva and Josefina Cruzat and Joaquín Migeot and Paola Murgas and Hernán Hernández and Martin Bruno and Nilton Custodio and Rosa Montesinos and José Alberto Avila-Funes and Diana Matallana and Hernando Santamaria-García and Natalia Vilor-Tejedor and Federica Anastasi and Shireen Sindi and Andrea Slachevsky and J E Blümel and Sidra Sohail and Melissa Marquez and Grace E Bardwick and Ana W Capuano and Agustín Ibañez and Francesca R Farina and Claudia Duran-Aniotz},
journal = {Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.3389/fnagi.2026.1826530},
url = {https://u-bordeaux.hal.science/hal-05785768v1},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Reproductive life stages and cognitive outcomes: a systematic review in Latin American and Caribbean women
AU - Nickole Marín-Díaz
AU - Sofia Binetti
AU - Jaime Cañas
AU - Carolina Panesso
AU - Javier Villacreses
AU - Paulina Orellana
AU - Carolina Gonzalez-Silva
AU - Josefina Cruzat
AU - Joaquín Migeot
AU - Paola Murgas
AU - Hernán Hernández
AU - Martin Bruno
AU - Nilton Custodio
AU - Rosa Montesinos
AU - José Alberto Avila-Funes
AU - Diana Matallana
AU - Hernando Santamaria-García
AU - Natalia Vilor-Tejedor
AU - Federica Anastasi
AU - Shireen Sindi
AU - Andrea Slachevsky
AU - J E Blümel
AU - Sidra Sohail
AU - Melissa Marquez
AU - Grace E Bardwick
AU - Ana W Capuano
AU - Agustín Ibañez
AU - Francesca R Farina
AU - Claudia Duran-Aniotz
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/17
JO - Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience
DO - 10.3389/fnagi.2026.1826530
UR - https://u-bordeaux.hal.science/hal-05785768v1
AB - Reproductive life stages, menopausal symptoms, and hormonal exposures are increasingly recognized as potential determinants of cognitive outcomes in women. However, these associations remain largely understudied in Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) populations. In this systematic review, we identified 18 observational studies published between 2003 and 2025. Of these, 16 were conducted across 13 LAC countries and two were conducted among latina women in the United States. Evidence was organized across four reproductive life stages domains: reproductive history, menopausal hormone therapy use, type of menopause and menopausal symptoms, and postmenopausal factors. Most LAC studies were cross-sectional and demonstrated substantial methodological heterogeneity. Across studies, shorter reproductive span, earlier menopause, higher parity, surgical menopause, and greater menopausal symptom burden were generally associated with poorer cognitive performance or higher odds of mild cognitive impairment. Some studies suggested favorable associations between menopausal hormone therapy use and cognitive outcomes. Postmenopausal factors, such as sarcopenia and obesity, as well as a longer duration of menopause, were predominantly linked to poorer cognitive outcomes. Only one populationbased cohort evaluated incident dementia, underscoring the scarcity of longitudinal evidence in the region. Overall, the evidence suggests that reproductive life stages in LAC women are meaningfully associated with cognitive outcomes, reflecting the influence of hormonal transitions, menopausal characteristics, and postmenopausal health within distinctive regional contexts. However, the predominance of cross-sectional designs and limited regional representativity, coupled with a lack of integrated physiological indicators, reveal a substantial knowledge gap. Longitudinal and regionally representative cohorts incorporating standardized assessments of reproductive life stages alongside comprehensive cognitive measures are essential to understanding how reproductive life stages shape cognitive outcomes in LAC women.
SN - 1663-4365
ER -