Women who used estrogen-only menopausal hormone therapy (MHT) were less likely to develop Alzheimer’s-related brain changes or dementia, according to a large Stanford study published Aug. 12 in Neurology.
The researchers analyzed post-mortem data from 21,462 participants, comparing 258 women who reported estrogen-only MHT use with approximately 2,701 women who reported no 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 two hallmark brain changes associated with the common dementia.The women who took estrogen-only therapy — most of whom had likely undergone hysterectomies — were found to have a 35% lower chance of Alzheimer’s pathology and 39% lower odds of dementia over a lifetime.
Among some living participants, estrogen-only users also performed better on memory testing and were better able to function independently, the study found. Biomarkers in blood and cerebrospinal fluid supported these results.
The participants averaged 70 years of age.
Recent research indicates that menopausal hormone therapy may offer greater benefits when started during or shortly after menopause, the researchers noted.Because the women in the study were generally older when they began treatment, the results may actually understate the potential benefits of earlier therapy.
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