A recent research discovered “no evidence” that commonly prescribed hormone therapies for menopausal women either increase and decrease dementia risks.
Notably, hormone therapy, also known as hormone replacement therapy (HRT), is particularly designed to replace the hormones that naturally decline during the menopausal period.
A large team of researchers from different states, including Switzerland, Australia, UK, China, and more assessed 10 studies involving over one million women.
To know dementia risks linked to HRT, scientists probed whether HRT use affected the risk of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) that impacts memory and thinking and dementia in both pre- and post-menopausal women.
According to an analysis published in The Lancet Healthy Longevity, there was "no significant association” between HRT and the risk of mild cognitive impairment or dementia in early menopause.
Experts stated that findings regarding menopause hormone therapy should be based on managing menopausal symptoms and weighing other known benefits and risks, regardless of the fears surrounding dementia.
Recently, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) removed “black box” warnings from menopause hormone products that also included unsupported claims, especially about the risks of dementia.
The study lead author stated, “Menopause hormone therapy is widely used to manage menopausal symptoms, yet its impact on memory, cognition and dementia risk remains one of the most debated issues in women's health.”
