Taking hormone replacement therapy for at least 10 years ‘can reduce dementia risk’ – Express.co.uk

GETTY

A study of hundreds of thousands post menopausal women found those who used hormone replacement therapy (HRT) for more than a decade were less likely to develop the devastating neurological disorder.

The finding suggests the sooner patients begin the medication after reaching that time of life, the better.

Dr Bushra Imtiaz, who presented the results in her doctoral thesis, said: The protective effect of hormone therapy may depend on its timing.

It may have cognitive benefits if initiated at the time of menopause when neurons are still healthy and responsive.

Alzheimer's disease is the most common form of dementia, and two out of three cases are women.

One possible explanation for the higher risk is they produce less of the sex hormones oestrogen and progesterone after the menopause, which HRT replenishes.

GETTY

Oestrogen receptors are present throughout the body, including brain areas mainly affected in Alzheimer's.

In lab experiments and animal studies, the hormone has been shown to protect against the loss of brain cells, or neurons.

But studies on humans have yielded inconsistent results on the association between postmenopausal oestrogen based HRT and dementia risk.

GETTY

Dr Imtiaz, of the University of Eastern Finland, explored the association between HRT, Alzheimer's disease, dementia and cognition in four nationwide studies, largest comprising about 230,000 women.

Two of the studies were carried out over a long period of time, following the participants for up to 20 years.

Dr Imtiaz said HRT may prevent memory loss and confusion if started at the onset of the menopause.

Long term use was associated with better overall mental skills including episodic memory - the recall of times, places and events - and a lower risk of Alzheimer's.

Short term use was not significantly linked to dementia, but in one group who had started HRT in the late post menopause the risk was higher.

GETTY

The results were adjusted for various lifestyle, socioeconomic and demographic variables.

Dr Imtiaz added: In the light of these findings, hormonal replacement therapy may have a beneficial effect on cognition if started early, around the time of menopause.

The protective effect of hormonal therapy may depend on the health status of neurons at baseline and may be lost if therapy starts years after menopause.

Many women have HRT for between two and five years, but it is often administered for more if necessary.

The study also showed the postmenopausal removal of ovaries, womb or both was not significantly linked to the risk of Alzheimer's, irrespective of the indication of surgery or hormone therapy use.

Getty Images

1 of 7

10 things you didn't know about menopause

Research published last year found women who take oestrogen supplements before the start of menopause and for at least three years had better preserved brain structure.

Their hippocampus was found to be 'significantly' larger than for untreated females.

In Alzheimer's disease, it is one of the first regions of the brain to suffer damage, with memory loss and disorientation among the earliest symptoms.

At present there are no drugs that stop or prevent the course of Alzheimer's disease, and instead scientists are looking at how to prevent or delay the onset of dementia.

One in three people will develop dementia in their lifetime, and a rapidly ageing population means that the numbers are forecast to double within two decades.

More than 800,000 people in the UK have a form of dementia but government estimates suggest that just half of cases have been diagnosed.

The World Health Organization has identified the fight against neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases, as some of the biggest health challenges in the coming years.

The latest findings were published in Neurology and Maturitas and in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease.

Read more here:
Taking hormone replacement therapy for at least 10 years 'can reduce dementia risk' - Express.co.uk