Women who start common hormone therapy in their 50s may have 23% lower dementia risk

Women who start hormone replacement therapy (HRT) at a certain age may have a lower dementia risk, a new study suggests.

The study, which was published in Alzheimer’s & Dementia, analyzed UK Biobank data of 183,450 postmenopausal women averaging 60 years of age.

The U.K. researchers determined that HRT use was associated with about a 10% lower risk of all-cause dementia and a 16% lower risk of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) over a 13-year follow-up period. 'LONGEVITY GENE' MAY PROTECT THE BRAIN FROM ALZHEIMER'S BY BOOSTING DNA REPAIR, STUDY FINDS The association was strongest among women who started the therapy between the ages of 46 and 56.

It was also high among those who had undergone surgical menopause.

Starting HRT after age 56 was not associated with reduced dementia risk.

Dr.

Alexa Fiffick, a board-certified family medicine physician and founder of Concierge Medicine of Westlake in Cleveland, Ohio, noted that this was an observational study that can’t show cause and effect.

"So, it kind of stays where the data has been for a while — that in certain patients, we have no evidence that it really makes a difference," she told Fox News Digital.

7 NEW DEMENTIA RISK FACTORS REVEALED — INCLUDING ONE MILLIONS STRUGGLE WITH "And for some patients, such as [those] who go through menopause a little bit younger, whether that's surgically or naturally, or if they have that APOE ε4 genotype that predisposes them to dementia, there may be some benefit." The researchers also stated that as this was an observational study, it could not establish that HRT prevents dementia , but only showed an association.

The study also did not assess any safety outcomes or adverse events related to HRT.

Women who use HRT may differ from non-users in other ways that affect dementia risk, such as their overall health, lifestyle or access to healthcare, the researchers noted.

Although researchers adjusted for many of these factors, some unmeasured differences could still factor into the lower dementia risk seen among HRT users.

The study also did not have detailed information on the types of hormone therapy , the way they were administered or the specific dosages women took.

Most of the people in the study were of European ancestry and tended to be better off financially, so the findings may not apply equally to people from other populations.