A new study has found that hormone replacement therapy (HRT) may be associated with improved brain health and cognition in women with a higher genetic risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. Although the findings are observational and cannot determine causality, they are based on a series of studies that seek to understand why women are generally more likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease compared to men. I’m here.
“In addition to living longer, the reason for the higher prevalence in women is thought to be related to the effects of menopause and the greater influence of APOE4 genetic risk factors in women,” said Dr. New “We wanted to see if HRT could prevent cognitive decline in at-risk APOE4 carriers.”
About 1 in 4 women carry the APOE4 gene, which can greatly increase the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. This new study examines data from ongoing brain health research and allows researchers to gain unique insight into the impact of her HRT on women with the APOE4 genotype.
Findings revealed that HRT was associated with greater entorhinal and amygdala volumes and better responses to memory tests. Another researcher working on the study, Rasha Saleh, said the benefits of HRT were most evident in women with the APOE4 genotype, who started hormone therapy at a young age.
“We found that HRT use was associated with improved memory and increased brain volume among at-risk APOE4 gene carriers. This was especially noticeable when HRT was introduced during the transitional period.”
This particular finding supports an increasingly popular idea known as the “critical window hypothesis.” Previous studies examining the effects of HRT on her cognition in later life have yielded mixed results, with some researchers suggesting that timing of treatment may be key to its neuroprotective effects. doing.
For example, a 2011 study drew data from a number of healthcare databases to compare the cognitive effects of HRT between women who started treatment in their late 40s and women who started treatment in their 70s. That study found that HRT reduced the risk of dementia only when started early.
Sara Imarisio of Alzheimer’s Research UK said these new findings have limitations.According to Imarisio, the study is not really focused on clinical development in dementia, so it is important to know that HRT is actually a long-term treatment. Further research is needed to understand whether it prevents cognitive decline across time.
“The next step is to investigate this in more detail,” said Imarisio. “Importantly, this study did not measure whether women develop dementia. The results must first be confirmed in trials that directly test whether they give the 4 gene.”
Co-author of the new study, Michael Hornberger, agrees with Imaricio. He said the next phase of research will be to investigate which populations can benefit most from HRT and which types of HRT are most effective in preventing dementia.
“Although it is too early to say definitively that HRT reduces the risk of dementia in women, our results highlight the potential importance of HRT and personalized medicine in reducing the risk of Alzheimer’s disease. It’s a highlight,” Hornberger said. An intervention trial to determine the effects of early initiation of HRT on cognition and brain health.”
A new study was published in Alzheimer’s disease research and treatment.
Source: University of East Anglia
