Alzheimer's risk may be 35% lower with common menopause treatment, study finds
Researchers found estrogen-only therapy was linked to 35% lower odds of Alzheimer’s pathology and lower dementia risk, but said the study shows association only.
- On Wednesday, a Stanford-led study published in the journal Neurology found that women using estrogen-only hormone therapy showed associations with lower Alzheimer's-related brain pathology and reduced dementia risk.
- Researchers analyzed health records of 21,462 women from two large Alzheimer's databases, finding that users of estrogen-only therapy had 35% lower odds of Alzheimer's pathology at autopsy compared to non-users.
- Study participants using the therapy also showed a 39% lower likelihood of a dementia diagnosis and lower amyloid levels in blood and spinal fluid, indicating reduced Alzheimer's-related brain changes.
- Lead author Jennifer Bruno, an instructor at Stanford Medicine, emphasized that these observational findings do not change clinical recommendations and do not establish a cause-and-effect relationship.
- Findings are most relevant to women who have had a hysterectomy, as estrogen-only therapy is appropriate only for that population; researchers call for future randomized trials to confirm protective effects.
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A new study investigates how hormone therapy in menopause affects the risk of Alzheimer's. What the results mean.
Women taking estrogen had fewer signs of Alzheimer’s in their brains
Women who used estrogen-only hormone therapy later in life were less likely to develop dementia and showed fewer signs of Alzheimer’s disease in their brains, according to a large study of more than 21,000 participants. Hormone therapy use was linked to 39% lower odds of a dementia diagnosis and 35% lower odds of Alzheimer’s-related brain changes at autopsy, including amyloid plaques and tau tangles. Biomarker tests also suggested less amyloid b…
Women are significantly more affected by Alzheimer's than men. One reason may be the decline in sex hormones in menopause. A certain hormone therapy could protect, a recent study shows.
Study ties estrogen-based menopausal hormone therapy to lower Alzheimer's risk
Women on regimens of estrogen-only menopausal hormone therapy are at reduced risk of Alzheimer's disease, a study by Stanford Medicine investigators has found. Because estrogen-only therapy is generally prescribed for women without a uterus, most of these users presumably had had hysterectomies.
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