Stanford Study Finds Estrogen-Only MHT Cuts Alzheimer’s Pathology 35% and Dementia Odds 39%
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Aug 14
Stanford Study Finds Estrogen-Only MHT Cuts Alzheimer’s Pathology 35% and Dementia Odds 39%
3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Aug 14
Summary
21,462 post-mortem records in a Stanford-led Neurology study showed women who used estrogen-only menopausal hormone therapy had 35% lower odds of Alzheimer’s pathology and 39% lower lifetime odds of dementia.
258 estrogen-only users were compared with about 2,701 non-users, and the brains were assessed for amyloid plaques, neurofibrillary tangles and plaque density—core markers of Alzheimer’s damage.
Memory testing, independent-function measures and blood and cerebrospinal-fluid biomarkers in some living participants also pointed to better cognitive outcomes among estrogen-only users.
Researchers said estrogen’s known effects on amyloid, tau, inflammation and synaptic plasticity could explain the link, though the observational design cannot prove the therapy caused the lower risk.
The findings challenge earlier studies that tied menopausal hormone therapy to higher dementia risk, but Stanford researchers said they do not change current treatment guidance and instead support prospective clinical trials.