Early Menopause, Later Start to Hormone Therapy May Increase Risk of Alzheimer's Disease
Published:29 Apr.2023 Source:Mass General Brigham
Women are more likely than men to develop Alzheimer's disease (AD), with women making up two-thirds of the population living with AD. A new study, led by Mass General Brigham researchers, sheds light on the relationship between the risk of Alzheimer's disease and age of menopause and use of hormone therapy (HT). The results, published in JAMA Neurology, indicate that early age at menopause may be a risk factor for AD dementia, but that women who were prescribed HT around the age of menopause onset did not show increased risk.
The researchers used data from the Wisconsin Registry for Alzheimer's Prevention (WRAP), one of the few longitudinal studies on AD dementia that includes detailed information on menopause and HT use as well as PET neuroimaging. They analyzed PET scans from 292 cognitively unimpaired adults to determine levels of amyloid and tau in seven regions of the brain.
Going forward, the researchers are continuing to study sex-specific risk factors for AD dementia by analyzing biological signatures, including sex hormones, in blood plasma and on the X-chromosome. They are also continuing to engage in efforts to understand the unique role that tau plays in women compared to men, its impact on the brain, and why earlier menopause and late HT initiation may be associated with increased tau, even in cognitively unimpaired women.