Alzheimer's risk may be 35% lower with common menopause treatment, study finds

Women who utilized estrogen-only menopausal hormone therapy (MHT) were little apt to make Alzheimer’s-related encephalon changes oregon dementia, according to a ample Stanford survey published Aug. 12 successful Neurology.

The researchers analyzed post-mortem information from 21,462 participants, comparing 258 women who reported estrogen-only MHT usage with astir 2,701 women who reported nary MHT use.

The researchers examined the brains for signs of Alzheimer’s disease, including amyloid plaques, neurofibrillary tangles and amyloid-plaque density. Plaques and tangles are 2 hallmark encephalon changes associated with the communal dementia.

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The women who took estrogen-only therapy — astir of whom had apt undergone hysterectomies — were recovered to person a 35% little accidental of Alzheimer’s pathology and 39% little likelihood of dementia implicit a lifetime.

Women who utilized estrogen-only menopausal hormone therapy (MHT) were little apt to make Alzheimer’s-related encephalon changes oregon dementia. (iStock)

Among immoderate surviving participants, estrogen-only users besides performed amended connected representation investigating and were amended capable to relation independently, the survey found. Biomarkers successful humor and cerebrospinal fluid supported these results.

The participants averaged 70 years of age.

Recent probe indicates that menopausal hormone therapy whitethorn connection greater benefits erstwhile started during oregon soon aft menopause, the researchers noted.

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Because the women successful the survey were mostly older erstwhile they began treatment, the results whitethorn really understate the imaginable benefits of earlier therapy.

These findings look to contradict anterior studies that linked menopausal hormone therapy to accrued dementia risk.

Alzheimer’s illness is the starring origin of dementia among older adults, with women comprising astir two-thirds of diagnoses. (iStock)

"Estrogen has well-described neuroprotective effects successful carnal models," co-author Jennifer Bruno, PhD, an teacher successful psychiatry and behavioral sciences, told Fox News Digital.

"Estrogen plays a relation successful shifting amyloid toward the non-amyloidogenic pathway and promoting tau dephosphorylation — some amyloid and tau are hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease."

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"Additionally, estrogen supports synaptic plasticity, reduces neuroinflammation and supports humor encephalon obstruction integrity. So, uncovering little AD pathology successful estrogen-only users was accordant with this mechanism."

Memory tin beryllium impacted by galore antithetic conditions, which means objective diagnoses tin sometimes beryllium unreliable, the researchers noted.

Recent probe indicates that menopausal hormone therapy whitethorn connection greater benefits erstwhile started during oregon soon aft menopause. (iStock)

"Although there’s been large advancement with bloodborne and cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers, they don’t archer you the magnitude and precise determination of the encephalon damage," said elder writer Hadi Hosseini, Ph.D., an subordinate prof of psychiatry and behavioral sciences astatine Stanford.

"By looking wherever the existent harm is done — the encephalon — you tin spot wherever the Alzheimer’s-associated defining features are and however galore of them are there."

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The survey did person immoderate limitations, according to the researchers. As it was observational, it could lone amusement an relation but could beryllium that the hormone therapy reduced Alzheimer’s risk.

"It’s imaginable that women who utilized hormone therapy differed from non-users successful ways we couldn't afloat measure, specified arsenic baseline wellness presumption oregon engagement with healthcare," Hosseini told Fox News Digital. "We worked hard to set for known confounders and to relationship for who does and doesn't travel to autopsy, but observational information tin lone instrumentality you truthful far."

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Alzheimer’s illness is the starring origin of dementia among older adults, with women comprising astir two-thirds of diagnoses.

"By looking wherever the existent harm is done — the encephalon — you tin spot wherever the Alzheimer’s-associated defining features are and however galore of them are there."

While the survey findings don’t alteration existent objective recommendations, Hosseini said they item the request for well-designed objective trials to corroborate these observations and to find whether menopausal hormone therapy has a protective cognitive effect.

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"These results adhd meaningful, first-of-their-kind pathological grounds to a genuinely arguable country — but they are a awesome for further study, not a crushed to commencement oregon halt MHT for encephalon health," Bruno added.

"We request prospective, biomarker-based trials that travel women before, during and aft menopause to recognize the effects of MHT connected encephalon health."

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The survey was funded by the National Institutes of Health.