Women who take hormone replacement therapy (HRT) at menopause are at lower risk of developing Alzheimer’s, suggests a study published in the journal Alzheimer’s Research & Therapy. The benefits may be even greater for those carrying the APOE4 gene, which is known to increase the likelihood of developing the disease.
Researchers at the University of East Anglia in England believe that estrogen replacement treatment plays an important role in improving memory and is linked to larger brain volumes for people with APOE4. The gene is present in approximately one in four women.
Study
To reach their conclusion, the scientists analyzed data from 1,178 women aged over 50 enrolled in the European Consortium for the Prevention of Alzheimer’s Dementia, which studies long-term brain health. None of them had a history of dementia at the start of the program.
The researchers looked at cognitive test results and brain volume recorded by MRI scans. Carriers of the APOE4 gene who took hormone replacement to curb menopausal symptoms fared better on memory tests compared to those who did not take the treatment. They also had larger brain volumes – smaller sizes are predictive of Alzheimer’s risk.
Alzheimer’s is a degenerative disease caused by the death of brain cells that can appear decades before the first symptoms appear.PM Images/ Getty Images
***Photo-doctor-looking-tomography.jpgBecause it is a disease that tends to get worse over the years, early diagnosis is essential to delay the progression. Therefore, when presenting any symptoms of the disease, it is essential to consult a specialist. Andrew Brookes/Getty Images
***Photo-woman-with-hand-on-head.jpgAlthough the symptoms are more common in people over 70 years of age, it is not uncommon for them to manifest in young people around 30. In fact, when this “premature” manifestation occurs, the condition is called early Alzheimer’s.Westend61/ Getty Images
***Photo-elderly-with-hands-on-head.jpgIn the initial phase, a person with Alzheimer’s tends to have changes in memory and starts to forget simple things, such as: where he kept his keys, what he had for breakfast, someone’s name or even the season of the year.urbazon/ Getty Images
***Photo-person-walking-in-a-maze.jpgDisorientation, difficulty remembering the address where you live or the way home, difficulties in making simple decisions, such as planning what you are going to do or eat, for example, are also signs of the disease.OsakaWayne Studios/ Getty Images
***Photo-elderly-with-hands-on-head-2.jpgIn addition, loss of desire to perform routine tasks, change in behavior (making the person more nervous or aggressive), and repetitions are some of the most common symptoms.Kobus Louw/ Getty Images
***Photo-doctors-looking-tomography.jpgAccording to research carried out by the Alzheimer’s Drugs Discovery Foundation (ADDF), the presence of damaged proteins (Amyloid and Tau), vascular diseases, neuroinflammation, neural and genetic energy failure (APOE) may be related to the onset of the disease.Rossella De Berti/ Getty Images
***Photo-hands-on-the-table-holding-medicine.jpgAlzheimer’s treatment is done with the use of medications to reduce the symptoms of the disease, in addition to being necessary to perform physical therapy and cognitive stimulation. The disease has no cure and care must be taken until the end of lifeTowfiqu Barbhuiya / EyeEm/ Getty Images
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According to the scientists, the results were even better when hormone therapy was introduced early, in perimenopause, the transition phase to menopause.
“The important news is that the sooner the better,” says the study’s lead author, Professor Anne-Marie Minihane, from UEA’s Norwich Medical School, in an interview with BBC Radio 4.
clinical trial
The researchers point out that the study does not confirm the cause and effect of the treatment, since the analysis was observational and made with available data.
Professor Anne-Marie informs that the next stage of the research is a clinical trial to compare results between women who do or do not have the gene.
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