Hormone therapy reduces dementia risk in women

Researchers have found that hormone therapy can reduce the risk of dementia and Alzheimer's disease in women. A study tracking over 180,000 menopausal women in the UK Biobank for an average of 13 years revealed that using hormone therapy for at least one year provides significant neuroprotective benefits.

Ann-Marie Minnehin, a senior researcher and director of the Norwich Healthy Ageing Institute at the University of East Anglia, reported that women using hormone therapy faced a 10 percent lower risk of dementia and a 16 percent lower risk of Alzheimer's. The benefits were most pronounced in women who underwent surgical menopause, such as through the removal of ovaries, who saw a 26 percent reduction in dementia risk.

Additionally, the therapy appeared beneficial for women with naturally lower estrogen levels due to late menarche or early menopause, showing a 16 percent reduction in dementia risk. The study also noted that hormone therapy may reduce Alzheimer's risk by approximately 13 percent in women carrying the APOE4 gene, a known risk factor for the disease.