Hormone replacement therapy reduces dementia risk in women: Study

CHICAGO (NewsNation) — A recent study revealed hormone replacement therapy (HRT) may benefit your brain — but the timing is crucial.

Research published in the Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience journal reveals menopausal women — women in their 40s, 50s and early 60s — who undergo HRT may reduce their risk for Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.

Dr. Tom Pitts, a board-certified neurologist, said there have been studies that showed HRT could benefit the brain but also studies that revealed that they don’t benefit the brain. He explained on NewsNation’s “Morning in America” that this has been one of the most prolonged neurological battles in research history.

However, the overall consensus from the majority of studies has always shown that there might be a neuroprotective effect from HRTs, Pitts said.

A landmark study conducted in the 1990s of about 100,000 women looked specifically at this question, Pitts said. However, he explained researchers tested the women after 60 years of age, which Pitts explained could be reason for why HRTs could have had different results.

The 2023 study looked back at this study and questioned what would happen if the women were treated right away after menopause or quickly after that.

From this study, researchers found about a 26% reduction in dementia — which was used as a blanket term for all different cognitive dysfunctions including Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, dementia, etc. — in women who had HRT for about 10 years or more. The study also found that HRT lost its benefits after 65 years of age because by then, most patients would have likely already developed dementia.

“The earlier the better,” Pitts said. “That’s what was found.”

So, when should women start HRT?

Pitts said the best thing to do would be to consult a physician before starting any sort of HRT treatment.

Every woman, or person, taking estrogen should speak to a doctor because HRT isn’t on the table for everyone. People who have hormonal susceptible cancers, high-risk breast cancer, high-risk uterine cancer, blood clots and advanced cardiovascular disease, Pitts said, should definitely be careful with the treatment.

But for those who can participate in HRT, PItts suggested waiting until estrogen levels get to a safe place to start the treatment.

“You don’t want to have an estrogen excess that can cause things like blood clots,” Pitss said. “But assuming you are in full menopause, or entering that state, the sooner the better from a neurologic point of view.”