It helps with breast cancer and dementia.
A recent study suggests that hormone therapy for breast cancer may lower the risk of developing dementia or Alzheimer’s disease. Published on July 16 in JAMA Network Open, the research indicates that hormone therapy is associated with a 7% reduction in the risk of these cognitive disorders.
The study analyzed data from over 18,800 women aged 65 and older who had been diagnosed with breast cancer between 2007 and 2009. Of these, around 66% had received hormone therapy within three years of their diagnosis. Over a follow-up period averaging 12 years, 24% of the women who used hormone therapy developed Alzheimer’s or dementia, compared to 28% of those who did not receive the treatment.
The protective effect of hormone therapy was found to be most significant in women aged 65 to 69, but it appeared to increase dementia risk in women over 80. Additionally, the benefit of hormone therapy varied by race. Black women aged 65 to 74 experienced a 24% reduction in dementia risk with hormone therapy, while white women in the same age group saw an 11% reduction, which diminished after age 75.
Senior researcher Francesmary Modugno and lead researcher Chao Cai emphasized the importance of personalized treatment plans based on age and race. They suggested that hormone therapy’s effects on estrogen or brain receptors, as well as its influence on proteins linked to Alzheimer’s, might contribute to these results. The researchers stressed the need for further studies to understand the complex relationship between hormone therapy and dementia risk more clearly.
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