Long-Term Care

Hormone therapy may prevent dementia in women

Contemporary Long-Term Care Weekly, May 31, 2007

New research indicates dementia may be prevented in women with early administration of hormone therapy, according to the AP. In the past, women took hormone pills during menopause to help diminish side effects. Studies then linked hormone usage to heart attack, stroke, and breast cancer, and as a result women cut back or eliminated use of these pills. Recent studies demonstrated hormones reducing menopause symptoms, as well as reducing the risk of dementia when taken at an earlier stage.

The study, conducted by the National Institutes of Health and the drug manufacturer Wyeth, showed the development of dementia in 1% of the women who took the hormones at a younger age, and in 1.7% of women who did not take the hormones. A previous study showed that women who start taking hormones after 65 increased their risk of developing dementia by 75%, and those taking hormones earlier reduced their risk by half, according to the AP.

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