Hormone Replacement Therapy
The Link Between Menopause and Alzheimer’s Disease
Doctors aren’t sure why more women than men develop Alzheimer’s disease, but they are coming closer to concluding that it has a definite link to the way hormone levels drop after age 40 and how hormone loss affects the brain.1
A 2017 study conducted by a team of neuroscientists investigated metabolic changes in the brains of perimenopausal and menopausal women and found similarities in their brains and the brains of people with Alzheimer’s disease.2
Tests performed for this study revealed women with clinical signs of perimenopause or menopause had significantly reduced glucose metabolic activity in certain brain areas. Interestingly, this “hypometabolism” has also been detected in the brains of people who were in the early stages of Alzheimer’s. Additionally, the same women in the study showed lower than normal activity levels for a specific metabolic enzyme (mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase). Finally, researchers found subjects scored lower on memory tests than premenopausal control groups.
Authors of this study suggest their research results show estrogen loss during menopause not only diminishes fertility but may also promote development of Alzheimer’s or early onset dementia. Estrogen has strong neuroprotective properties involved in supporting memory, learning, mood and seems to protect the female brain from suffering neurodegenerative processes.3 In fact, a few studies regarding estrogen loss due to reduced testosterone circulation in older men also indicate there could be a correlation between estrogen loss and Alzheimer’s in men.
The physiological connection between Alzheimer’s and menopause has been also researched, with results indicating menopause increases accumulation of protein amyloid beta chemicals associated with Alzheimer’s. Moreover, neurologists also reported menopausal women presenting reduced volumes of white matter (nerve fibers) and gray matter (neurons) in brain areas affected by Alzheimer’s disease.4
Women on Hormone Replacement Therapy Can Reduce the Risk of Alzheimer’s Disease
Research presented at the 2018 Alzheimer´s Association International Conference, in Chicago, concluded that postmenopausal women who undergo hormone replacement therapy for less than 5 years have a lower risk for dementia than those who do not.5
Timing of the therapy is important too. Different studies suggest that women who started taking estrogen therapy after age 65 were more likely to develop dementia than those who started taking estrogen between 50 and 54.
What About Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy?
While laboratory-made Synthetic hormones used in hormone replacement therapy may show beneficial reducing the risk of Alzheimer´s in women, their use has been linked to increased risk of breast cancer, heart disease, ovarian cancer, urinary incontinence, and stroke.
Since discovering Synthetic HRT could do more harm than good to their bodies and minds, women have been asking for alternatives to pharmaceutical hormones such as Premarin or Provera. A Women’s Health Initiative study investigated the effects of combination Synthetic HRT (synthetic progestins and equine estrogens) on women and discovered a definite trend towards a higher risk of cardiovascular disease during the initial two years of taking combination HT. In addition, there was even a more significant risk of heart disease among women on combination hormone therapy 10+ years after entering menopause.6
Equine-derived estrogen and Synthetic progesterone have a molecular structure similar to the structure of horse hormones. Consequently, animal-based progestins and estrogens are not readily accepted by cellular receptors structured to utilize naturally produced hormones. Researchers think this may be one reason why traditional hormone replacement therapy causes an increased risk for serious, chronic diseases like Alzheimer’s, cancer and heart disease.7
Bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT) is a natural, safe and effective alternative to eliminating symptoms of perimenopause and menopause but does not carry health risks associated with pharmaceutically-made hormones traditionally used in hormone replacement therapy.
Bioidentical hormones (BHRT) are created using plant compounds that are converted into chemical molecules nearly identical to hormone molecules made by your body. Bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT) is rapidly becoming the most popular form of hormone replacement therapy for women and men wanting to maintain their health and possibility to reduce their risk of Alzheimer’s disease.
Call our center today to learn how you can start on bioidentical hormone replacement therapy.
References
- https://news.weill.cornell.edu/news/2017/10/menopause-triggers-metabolic-changes-in-brain-that-may-promote-alzheimers
- https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0185926
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5743731/
- https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/06/070604155835.htm
- https://www.neurologyadvisor.com/conference-highlights/aaic-2018/hormone-replacement-therapy-associated-with-reduced-dementia-risk-in-postmenopausal-women/
- https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/news/2010/whi-study-data-confirm-short-term-heart-disease-risks-combination-hormone-therapy
- https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/files/docs/pht_facts.pdf
Doctors aren’t sure why more women than men develop Alzheimer’s disease, but they are coming closer to concluding that it has a definite link to the way hormone levels drop after age 40 and how hormone loss affects the brain.1
A 2017 study conducted by a team of neuroscientists investigated metabolic changes in the brains of perimenopausal and menopausal women and found similarities in their brains and the brains of people with Alzheimer’s disease.2
Tests performed for this study revealed women with clinical signs of perimenopause or menopause had significantly reduced glucose metabolic activity in certain brain areas. Interestingly, this “hypometabolism” has also been detected in the brains of people who were in the early stages of Alzheimer’s. Additionally, the same women in the study showed lower than normal activity levels for a specific metabolic enzyme (mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase). Finally, researchers found subjects scored lower on memory tests than premenopausal control groups.
Authors of this study suggest their research results show estrogen loss during menopause not only diminishes fertility but may also promote development of Alzheimer’s or early onset dementia. Estrogen has strong neuroprotective properties involved in supporting memory, learning, mood and seems to protect the female brain from suffering neurodegenerative processes.3 In fact, a few studies regarding estrogen loss due to reduced testosterone circulation in older men also indicate there could be a correlation between estrogen loss and Alzheimer’s in men.
The physiological connection between Alzheimer’s and menopause has been also researched, with results indicating menopause increases accumulation of protein amyloid beta chemicals associated with Alzheimer’s. Moreover, neurologists also reported menopausal women presenting reduced volumes of white matter (nerve fibers) and gray matter (neurons) in brain areas affected by Alzheimer’s disease.4
Women on Hormone Replacement Therapy Can Reduce the Risk of Alzheimer’s Disease
Research presented at the 2018 Alzheimer´s Association International Conference, in Chicago, concluded that postmenopausal women who undergo hormone replacement therapy for less than 5 years have a lower risk for dementia than those who do not.5
Timing of the therapy is important too. Different studies suggest that women who started taking estrogen therapy after age 65 were more likely to develop dementia than those who started taking estrogen between 50 and 54.
What About Bioidential Hormone Replacement Therapy?
While laboratory-made hormones used in hormone replacement therapy may show beneficial reducing the risk of Alzheimer´s in women, their use has been linked to increase risk of breast cancer, heart disease, ovarian cancer, urinary incontinence and stroke.
Since discovering HRT could do more harm than good to their bodies and minds, women have been asking for alternatives to pharmaceutical hormones such as Premarin or Provera. A Women’s Health Initiative study investigated the effects of combination HRT (synthetic progestins and equine estrogens) on women and discovered a definite trend towards a higher risk of cardiovascular disease during the initial two years of taking combination HT. In addition, there was even a more significant risk of heart disease among women on combination hormone therapy 10+ years after entering menopause.6
Equine-derived estrogen and synthetic progesterone have a molecular structure similar to the structure of horse hormones. Consequently, animal-based progestins and estrogens are not readily accepted by cellular receptors structured to utilize naturally produced hormones. Researchers think this may be one reason why traditional hormone replacement therapy causes an increased risk for serious, chronic diseases like Alzheimer’s, cancer and heart disease.7
Bioidential hormone replacement therapy (BHRT) is a natural, safe and effective alternative to eliminating symptoms of perimenopause and menopause but does not carry health risks associated with pharmaceutically-made hormones traditionally used in hormone replacement therapy.
Bioidentical hormones are created using plant compounds that are converted into chemical molecules nearly identical to hormone molecules made by your body. BHRT is rapidly becoming the most popular form of hormone replacement therapy for women and men wanting to maintain their health and possibility reduce their risk of Alzheimer’s disease.
Call our center today to learn how you can start on bioidentical hormone replacement therapy.
References
- https://news.weill.cornell.edu/news/2017/10/menopause-triggers-metabolic-changes-in-brain-that-may-promote-alzheimers
- https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0185926
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5743731/
- https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/06/070604155835.htm
- https://www.neurologyadvisor.com/conference-highlights/aaic-2018/hormone-replacement-therapy-associated-with-reduced-dementia-risk-in-postmenopausal-women/
- https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/news/2010/whi-study-data-confirm-short-term-heart-disease-risks-combination-hormone-therapy
- https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/files/docs/pht_facts.pdf
