Estrogen Replacement Therapy Reduces Risk of Alzheimer's Disease by 54 Percent

Following is a news release based on an article published in the June issue of Neurology, the scientific journal of the American Academy of Neurology (AAN). The AAN is an association of more than 14,500 neurologists and neuroscience professionals dedicated to improving patient care through education and research. For a copy of the full article or for more information, contact Sarah Parsons or Rona Stewart at 612-623-8115 or by e-mail [email protected].

EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE UNTIL WEDNESDAY, JUNE 18, 1997

Estrogen Replacement Therapy Reduces Risk of Alzheimerís Disease by 54 Percent

Women who use estrogen replacement therapy are less likely to develop Alzheimerís disease, according to a study published in the June issue of Neurology. The study involved 472 women who were postmenopausal or around the age of menopause. The women were studied for up to 16 years through the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging conducted by the National Institute on Aging. Women who had ever used oral or transdermal estrogens were considered estrogen users. Of the 472 women, 45 percent had used estrogen replacement therapy. During the follow-up period, 34 women were diagnosed with Alzheimerís disease; nine of these women had used estrogen therapy. ìThere was a very significant decrease in the risk of developing Alzheimerís disease among the women who used estrogen,î said study co-author Ann Morrison, MS, RN, CS, of the neurology department at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, MD. The women who used estrogen were 54 percent less likely to develop Alzheimerís than those who had never taken estrogen. Morrison said the study adds weight to previous studies associating estrogen use with a reduced risk of developing Alzheimerís. ìThis study supports other epidemiological studies finding a protective effect and it extends their findings because it fills in some of the weaknesses of earlier studies,î she said. This study entailed the longest follow-up period of any epidemiological study in this area, according to neurologist Claudia Kawas, MD, lead author and associate professor of neurology at Johns Hopkins. Another strength of the study is that it looked at women who did not have Alzheimerís disease and followed them, rather than taking women with Alzheimerís disease and looking back into their medical histories to compare them with women who had not developed the disease.

Morrison said work has begun on the next step needed to confirm these results -- a randomized clinical trial where some women receive estrogen and others do not to determine whether its use can prevent Alzheimerís or delay its onset. Another trial is testing estrogen as a treatment for Alzheimerís disease. Itís too early to make any recommendations to the public about estrogen use and Alzheimerís, Morrison said. ìWomen should consult their physicians about the benefits and risks of taking estrogen,î she said. ìThere are proven benefits to womenís bones and their cardiovascular systems. In the future, we may be adding reduced risk of Alzheimerís to that list.î Approximately four million Americans have Alzheimerís disease, and that number is estimated to increase to at least seven million by the early 21st century. The disease afflicts twice as many women as men.