WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) may be linked to a lower risk of dementia in some women, according to a study by researchers from the University of East Anglia and the University of Exeter.
'Dementia affects millions of people worldwide, with women making up almost two thirds of Alzheimer's disease cases, the main form of dementia,' said study author Prof Anne-Marie Minihane.
The researchers studied health data from 183,450 postmenopausal women in the UK Biobank for an average of 13 years. During that time, nearly 4,000 women developed dementia.
Also, the researchers compared women who had used HRT for at least one year with those who had never used it. They found that women who had used HRT were 10% less likely to develop dementia of any type and 16% less likely to develop Alzheimer's disease compared with women who had never used HRT.
The biggest reduction was seen among women who had undergone surgical menopause. They had a 26% lower risk of developing dementia compared with women who had not used HRT. Women who had naturally experienced lower exposure to estrogen, such as those who started their periods later or went through menopause earlier, also appeared to benefit more from HRT.
Researchers noted that women have a higher risk of dementia than men, partly because women tend to live longer. Changes in the body during menopause and certain genetic factors linked to Alzheimer's may also play a role.
'In addition to living longer, the reason behind the higher female prevalence is thought to be related to the effects of menopause on brain metabolism and the impact of the main genetic risk factor APOE4 being greater in women,' added Prof Minihane.
However, the study does not prove that HRT prevents dementia because it was based on observational data rather than a randomized clinical trial. The researchers also noted that HRT users and non-users differed in some ways, such as education levels, which could have affected the results.
'Our findings contribute to growing evidence that hormone therapy's effects on brain health are complex and influenced by individual biological factors,' concluded Prof Minihane.
'While HRT has long been prescribed primarily to relieve menopausal symptoms such as hot flushes and night sweats, this work suggests it may also play a role in long-term cognitive health for some women.'
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