Can Midlife Estrogen Therapy Reduce Dementia Risk, Study Finds

A new study has found that estrogen therapy taken during midlife may reduce the risk of developing dementia later in life. The study, published in the journal Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience, looked at data from over 768,000 women and found that those who took estrogen therapy in their 40s and 50s had a 32% lower risk of developing dementia compared to those who did not take estrogen therapy.

The study also found that the type of estrogen therapy taken made a difference. Women who took estrogen-only therapy had a greater reduction in dementia risk than those who took estrogen-plus-progestogen therapy.

The researchers believe that estrogen therapy may help to protect against dementia by reducing inflammation and improving blood flow to the brain. They also note that estrogen therapy may help to reduce the accumulation of amyloid plaques and tau tangles, which are two of the hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease.

The findings of this study are important because they suggest that estrogen therapy may be a way to prevent dementia in women. However, the researchers caution that more research is needed to confirm the findings and to determine the optimal timing and dosage of estrogen therapy for dementia prevention.

Ref: Systematic review and meta-analysis of the effects of menopause hormone therapy on risk of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia Matilde Nerattini et al, Volume 15 - 2023 | https://doi.org/10.3389/fnagi.2023.1260427