HRT linked to lower dementia risk, study finds
London: Women who take hormone replacement therapy (HRT) have a lower risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease than those who don’t, according to a new study.
Academics followed more than 180,000 postmenopausal women in the UK over 13 years. They found that those who had taken HRT had a 10% lower risk of developing dementia and a 16% lower risk of getting Alzheimer’s disease.
HRT adds female hormones back into the body when levels drop during the menopause. An estimated 2.8 million women are prescribed it in England alone.
The study opens up a new avenue of research into dementia, which disproportionately affects women, who make up around two-thirds of cases. One reason for that is believed to be because of the effect of the menopause on brain metabolism.
“While HRT has long been prescribed primarily to relieve menopausal symptoms such as hot flushes and night sweats, this work suggests it may also play a role in long-term cognitive health for some women,” said study lead Prof Anne-Marie Minihane from the Norwich Institute of Healthy Ageing, England.
