Hormone therapy could prevent Alzheimer’s among certain women.
A new study has found that hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is associated with better memory, cognition and larger brain volumes in later life among women carrying the APOE4 gene, which is the strongest risk factor gene for Alzheimer’s disease.
Alzheimer’s disease can be a devastating diagnosis for the patient as well as their loved ones. It is the most common form of dementia and leads to progressive deterioration of the brain. Over time it impacts memory, cognitive skills and other mental abilities
The team at the University of East Anglia (UEA) found that HRT was most effective in terms of memory and cognition when introduced early in the menopause journey.
Study lead and director of the Norwich Institute for Healthy Aging at UEA, Professor Anne-Marie Minihane, said: “We know that 25 percent of women in the UK are carriers of the APOE4 gene and that almost two thirds of Alzheimer’s patients are women.
“In addition to living longer, the reason behind the higher female prevalence is thought to be related to the effects of menopause and the impact of the APOE4 genetic risk factor being greater in women.
“We wanted to find out whether HRT could prevent cognitive decline in at-risk APOE4 carriers.” As part of the research the team analysed data from 1,178 dementia-free women over the age of 50 who were taking part in the European Prevention of Alzheimer’s Dementia initiative.
This initiative included participants from 10 countries and tracked women’s brains from “healthy” to a diagnosis of dementia in some.
Doctor Rasha Saleh, also from UEA’s Norwich Medical School, said: “We found that HRT use is associated with better memory and larger brain volumes among at-risk APOE4 gene carriers. “The associations were particularly evident when HRT was introduced early – during the transition to menopause, known as perimenopause.