Hormone therapy before age 56 may cut dementia risk, study suggests

Key Points:

• A UK study analyzing data from 183,450 postmenopausal women found that hormone replacement therapy (HRT) use was associated with a 10% lower risk of all-cause dementia and a 16% lower risk of Alzheimer’s disease over 13 years.
• The reduced dementia risk was strongest among women who started HRT between ages 46 and 56, especially those who experienced surgical menopause; starting HRT after age 56 showed no such association.
• Researchers emphasized that the study was observational and could not prove causation, noting potential confounding factors such as health, lifestyle, and socioeconomic status, and that safety outcomes of HRT were not assessed.
• Experts caution that HRT carries known risks and side effects, and decisions about its use should involve thorough discussions with healthcare providers; current evidence does not support using HRT solely for dementia prevention.
• Future randomized controlled trials are planned to clarify HRT’s effects on dementia risk, considering variables like therapy type, dosage, administration method, treatment duration, age at initiation, menopause type, and genetic factors.