Two recent studies highlighted by NeuroAge Therapeutics add to the ongoing discussion about whether hormone replacement therapy (HRT) may help support brain health and reduce dementia risk in some women. While the relationship between HRT and dementia has been debated for decades, the new findings suggest potential benefits, particularly when hormone therapy is started around the time of menopause.
One study from Stanford found that women who used estrogen-only therapy had lower odds of developing the amyloid plaques and tau tangles associated with Alzheimer’s disease. A second study, using data from more than 183,000 women in the UK Biobank, found that hormone therapy was associated with a lower overall risk of dementia, with the greatest benefits observed among women who began treatment between the ages of 46 and 56 and those who experienced surgical menopause.
Researchers caution that these findings come from observational studies and do not prove a direct cause-and-effect relationship. However, they contribute to a growing body of evidence suggesting that the timing and type of hormone therapy may play an important role in brain health and dementia prevention.
Learn more about the research and its implications for brain health.
