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First the good news:
HRT might reduce Alzheimer's risk
From the Science & Technology Desk, Published 11/5/2002 4:05 PM
BALTIMORE, Nov. 5 (UPI) -- Hormone replacement therapy seems to protect women from developing Alzheimer's disease but the treatment apparently does so only during a limited and as-yet-undefined period of time, researchers reported Tuesday.
Researchers from several institutions reached these conclusions after analyzing data from the Cache County Study, a long-term investigation that has examined the prevalence and rate of Alzheimer's disease among a group of elderly individuals living in Utah.
Thirty-five men and 88 women developed Alzheimer's disease during the study period. Researchers found women who used HRT had a 41 percent reduction in their risk for Alzheimer's, a degenerative disease that eats away at brain tissue, compared to women who never had used HRT. The longer the duration of use, the lower the risk, researchers report in the Nov. 6 issue of Journal of the American Medical Association. Women who used HRT for a decade or longer showed a 2.5-fold decreased incidence of Alzheimer's risk, a risk rate comparable to what was observed among the men.
Dr. Pierre Tariot, professor of psychiatry, neurology, aging and developmental biology at the University of Rochester in New York, said hormones could make a good preventive medicine, but not a very good treatment.
"I think it's important to stay aware of the distinction between using medications to treat Alzheimer's disease once it's present and using medications to prevent illness," Tariot told UPI. "HRT does not appear to help women who already have Alzheimer's disease."
(Reported by Katrina Woznicki, UPI Sciences News, in Washington) Click here for full story
(Reported by Katrina Woznicki, UPI Sciences News, in Washington) Click here for full story
And now the bad news:
Hormone worsens Alzheimer's
November 5, 2002
Oestrogen may aggravate memory loss in post-menopausal women suffering from Alzheimer's disease, according to a new animal study. Researchers at the University of Arizona in Tucson examined the effects of oestrogen on the cognition of 40 female rats, and say their findings could have implications for humans.
To induce menopause, the researchers surgically removed the rats' ovaries. After testing the rats' memories by observing their performances in a water maze, the investigators found that ovary removal hadn't impaired the rodents' functioning. But once the rats were given either regular oestrogen replacement therapy or induced chronic brain inflammation - which simulated the effects of Alzheimer's - their functioning worsened. Click here for complete story
Bottom line: Estrogen seems to prevent Alzheimer's Disease if you are a woman but not if you are a female rat.
The above is not meant to be medical advice. Please read the attached Disclaimer, Etc.
Best wishes. Dr. Rehert
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