Women who start common hormone therapy in their 50s may have 23% lower dementia risk
Most of the people in the study were of European ancestry and tended to be better off financially, so the findings may not apply equally to people from other populations.
This study alone likely doesn’t warrant seeking out HRT just for dementia prevention, Fiffick said.
“However, if you’re having symptoms, if you feel not yourself, come in, talk to your doctor, have that conversation,” she advised.
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There is some data linking menopausal symptoms, such as hot flashes and night sweats, with vascular changes in the brain, the doctor noted.
“So, we are very hopeful to see that treating those symptoms may prevent the vascular changes that lead to vascular dementia, but we just don’t have that data right now,” she said.
“So, it’s worth the conversation, it’s worth bringing up, but I wouldn’t go out of your way for just this purpose.”
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HRT does carry some known risks and side effects, Fiffick noted.
For oral versions of estrogen, there may be an increased risk of blood clots. That risk does not appear to exist for transdermal options, such as patches, gels and creams.
As this was an observational study, it could not establish that HRT prevents dementia but only showed an association. (iStock)
Other types of HRT may impact breast activity, overall inflammation, cardiovascular markers and cardiometabolic markers, according to the doctor.
“So, it’s not one size fits all, and it’s really worth an extensive conversation.”
Looking ahead
The U.K. researchers plan to conduct randomized controlled trials to confirm that HRT reduces dementia risk. Future studies will include factors such as estrogen-only versus combined therapy, dosage amounts, administration route, treatment duration, age at the start of therapy, menopause type and potentially APOE genotype.
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“I think the more we have studies like this, the more we’re going to propel forward the randomized controlled trials to really give women the data they deserve,” Fiffick concluded.
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“Women deserve to have information to use to make decisions about their bodies. So I’m excited to see the trends heading in that direction.”
Melissa Rudy is senior health editor and a member of the lifestyle team at Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent to melissa.rudy@fox.com.
Article source: https://www.foxnews.com/health/women-start-common-hormone-therapy-50s-23-percent-lower-dementia-risk