Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) has no long-term cognitive effects when given to women in early postmenopause, according to a study published in the journal ‘PLOS Medicine‘.
Although hormone replacement therapy can relieve menopause symptoms, many women and doctors are hesitant to start using it due to safety concerns.
Previous research has linked a form of hormone therapy to mild cognitive impairment and dementia in women over 65, prompting research into the importance of age and timing of therapy on cognitive decline. Other studies have suggested that transdermal estrogen may have long-term cognitive benefits.
A previous study randomly assigned early postmenopausal women with good cardiovascular health to receive one of two types of hormone replacement therapy (oral or transdermal estrogen) or placebo.
After four years, no cognitive benefit or harm was seen in those receiving hormone replacement therapy compared to the placebo group. However, the long-term cognitive effects of hormone replacement therapy have not yet been sufficiently studied.
In this new follow-up study, led by Carey Gleason of the University of Wisconsin-Madison(USA) (the KEEPS continuation study) the researchers reconnoitred the participants almost ten years later to repeat a series of cognitive tests.
Among 275 women, although hormone replacement therapy failed to protect against cognitive decline, short-term hormone replacement therapy also did not have a long-term negative cognitive impact.
These findings may offer reassurance to women considering hormone replacement therapy, while adding to the growing body of research supporting the importance of timing hormone replacement therapy.
#Hormone #therapy #cognitive #impact #menopausal #women
