Estrogen Therapy May Give Older Women A Mental Edge
Noel Peterson, ND
We know that estrogen puts the brakes on the activity of osteoclasts - the cells that gnaw away at bone tissue like little Pac-men. We know it helps blood vessels relax and expand, improving a woman's heart function. And now it appears to be one of the factors that help keep grey matter in her brain active and healthy well into old age.
A new large-scale study looked at estrogen's effect on cognitive function by examining the response to replacement therapy on 2338 healthy women aged 65 or older. Investigators from Duke University, Utah State University, and Johns Hopkins University administered the Modified Mini-Mental State Examination to a group of predominantly Mormon women in Cache County, Utah, and compared test scores with each woman's personal history of estrogen replacement therapy (ERT).
After controlling for education, age, and health status, as well as the presence of the APOE-4 gene linked to Alzheimer's disease, current users of estrogen showed enhanced cognitive ability compared to past or previous users.
"If our findings can be replicated," they observed, "ERT in non-demented women may help protect against cognitive decline as well as diagnosable dementia." The results point to the importance of maintaining optimal sex hormone levels to help protect against degenerative conditions such as Alzheimer's disease.
"Postmenopausal women considering whether to start ERT may, therefore, consider prevention of cognitive decline as well as protection against osteoporosis and cardiovascular disease as potential benefits of treatment," the authors conclude.
NOTE: By revealing baseline levels of three estrogens as well those of progesterone and testosterone, DHEA, and pregnenolone, the Sex Hormone Profile can help us make a more informed decision about hormone replacement therapy based on your own body's needs. For more information about hormone replacement therapy, contact the Center.
Source: Steffens DC, et. al. "Enhanced cognitive performance with estrogen use in non-demented community-dwelling older women." J Am Geriatri Soc 1999;47:1171-1175.