Dementia And Alzheimers Disease - Hormone Therapy And Disease: Menopause
Content provided by the Faculty of the Harvard Medical School
Dementia and Alzheimer's disease
Early studies suggesting that hormones seem to have a positive effect on cognition, including memory and reasoning skills, led to a widespread assumption that hormones might protect against dementia and Alzheimer's disease. But subsequent studies — most notably the WHI — showed that hormones seem to increase the risk of probable dementia or cognitive problems in women over age 65 who take estrogen alone or in combination with progestogen. However, there are estrogen receptors in the brain, and some experts think estrogen given right after menopause might have a preventive role. At this point, the answer is far from clear.
| Last updated: | August 13, 2007 |
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Medical content reviewed by the Faculty of the Harvard Medical School. Harvard Health Publications, Copyright © 2007 by President and Fellows of Harvard College. All rights reserved. Used with permission of StayWell.
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