This menopause treatment may lower dementia risk in women, study finds
- Research by Stanford University using data from over 20,000 women found that oestrogen-only hormone replacement therapy in later life was linked to a 39 per cent lower risk of a clinical dementia diagnosis.
- The study revealed that women taking oestrogen-only treatment had a 33 per cent lower likelihood of memory or functional decline and 35 per cent lower odds of biological signs of Alzheimer’s in the brain.
- Experts stressed that the research shows an association rather than direct cause and effect, noting that participants reported using the therapy at an average age of around 70.
- Because oestrogen-only treatments are usually offered solely to women who have undergone a hysterectomy, scientists warned that the results cannot be applied to all women considering hormone therapy today.
- Health representatives advised that the findings should not prompt women to start or stop hormone therapy to alter dementia risk, highlighting the need for further research into women’s brain health.
More bulletins