Reduces dementia risk by 7%, with most pronounced effects in women aged 65-69
A new study found that hormone therapy for breast cancer can reduce the risk of developing dementia. This was reported by the health and medical webzine Health Day based on a paper by American researchers published in the Journal of the American Medical Association Network Open (JAMA Network Open) on the 16th (local time).
A research team led by Professor Frances Marie Modugno (obstetrics and gynecology) at the University of Pittsburgh in the United States reported that hormone therapy was associated with a 7% lower risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease or related dementias. However, the link appeared to decrease with age and varied by race.
About two-thirds of breast cancer patients have tumors that are stimulated by the female hormones estrogen or progesterone. In these patients, hormone therapy can block the growth of tumors by blocking those hormones.
The researchers analyzed health data from 18,800 women aged 65 and older who were diagnosed with breast cancer between 2007 and 2009. Two-thirds of the women (66%) received hormone therapy within three years of their diagnosis.
After an average of 12 years of follow-up, 24% of patients on hormone therapy developed Alzheimer’s disease or dementia, compared with 28% of women who did not use drugs during cancer treatment.
The protective effect was strongest in women aged 65 to 69, the researchers said. On the other hand, it was found to increase the risk of dementia in women aged 80 and older.
Race also appeared to play a role in risk. Black women aged 65 to 74 who took hormone therapy had a 24 percent reduced risk of dementia, but after age 75, the risk decreased by only 19 percent. White women aged 65 to 74 had an 11 percent reduced risk of dementia associated with hormone therapy use, but the beneficial association disappeared after age 75.
“Our study suggests that younger women may benefit more from hormone therapy in terms of reducing their risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease and other types of dementia,” said lead author Chao Tsai, a professor of pharmacy at the University of South Carolina. “The benefits of hormone therapy were reduced in women over 75 years of age, especially white women,” he said. “This suggests that the timing of hormone therapy initiation is important and that treatment plans should be tailored to the patient’s age.”
Estrogen tends to protect brain health, Chai said. These drugs could affect dementia risk by manipulating brain receptors that respond to estrogen or hormones, she explained.
Hormone therapy may also affect proteins such as amyloid beta (Aβ) and tau, which are closely linked to Alzheimer’s disease, and the health of the small blood vessels that supply the brain, the researchers noted. “The relationship between breast cancer hormone therapy and dementia risk is complex and influenced by many factors,” said Professor Kai. “Ongoing research is needed to better understand the mechanisms behind this association and provide clearer guidance on the use of hormone therapy.”
The paper can be found at the following link (
Source: kormedi.com
