Starting menopause therapy early may lower Alzheimer’s risk, study finds

Starting hormone therapy within five years of menopause could lower women’s Alzheimer’s risk by up to 32 per cent, but beginning at 65 or later may raise it, research shows.

The analysis pooled findings from more than 50 studies comparing women who used hormone replacement therapy (HRT) to those who did not.

Researchers from the Pandit Bhagwat Dayal Sharma Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences in India presented the results at the American Neurological Association’s annual meeting in Baltimore.

Women who started HRT around the time of menopausal transition saw a 22 to 32 per cent risk reduction.

By contrast, those starting at 65 or later had a 38 per cent higher risk, particularly with treatments containing progestin – a synthetic version of progesterone.

Lead researcher Dr FNU Vaibhav said: “Starting hormone replacement therapy early may give the brain some protection, but if a woman already has Alzheimer’s or memory problems, hormone therapy won’t slow them down.

“It’s like watering a plant: it helps when the plant is growing, but if it’s already wilting, it might be too late.”

HRT replaces oestrogen lost during menopause, easing symptoms such as hot flushes, night sweats and sleep disturbance.

It has also been linked to benefits for heart health and protection against age-related bone loss.

Just under 5 per cent of US women use HRT today, down from almost 26 per cent in 1999.

Researchers suggest that therapy begun during the transition may protect the brain by improving communication between nerve cells and reducing inflammation.

But once early Alzheimer’s changes are underway, added hormones may worsen problems by stressing blood vessels or fuelling inflammation.

Vaibhav said: “The evidence isn’t strong enough to suggest hormone replacement therapy should be taken to prevent Alzheimer’s.

“However, if a woman is planning to use it for menopause symptoms, starting soon after menopause might give her brain some protection against Alzheimer’s disease later.”

He advised that treatment should usually be limited to a few years and avoided entirely in the 60s or 70s.