Alzheimer?s affects more than 4 million Americans, stealing their memories and ability to care for themselves. About twice as many women as men have the incurable disease, in part because they tend to live longer. Its causes are unknown, but suggestions that the decline in estrogen levels in women at menopause might somehow make them more vulnerable to the disease have prompted interest in the hormone as a possible treatment.
Research has suggested that women who take estrogen are less likely to develop Alzheimer?s. But a new study found that once the mind-robbing disease sets in, the female hormone offers no benefit. The study confirmed the results of a previous study of shorter duration at the University of Southern California that appeared in January in the journal Neurology.
A year of estrogen did nothing to slow the progression of the disease or improve mental functioning in 120 older women with mild to moderate Alzheimer?s. Overall, the results of this study do not support the role of estrogen in the treatment.
In the latest study, the women, age 60 and older, were given either a low estrogen dose, a high dose or a placebo every day for a year. No significant differences were found among the groups in tests of mental function, mood, memory, attention, language skills or motor function. Women taking the low-dose estrogen showed improvement in one measure of mental function after two months, but the gains disappeared. In fact, those taking estrogen fared worse than the placebo group in a rating of dementia.
JAMA February 23, 1999 283:1007-1015
Dr. Mercola's Comment:
I am really surprised that this study did not receive more widespread news coverage. When the drug companies had the initial studies published suggesting that estrogen will help protect against Alzheimer's it was all over the news. I was immediately confronted by many patients who felt my recommendation to avoid estrogens were unwise. Now the evidence is in that estrogen does NOT help Alzheimer's but actually worsens it. I am delighted that JAMA continues to take a leadership role in publishing these landmark articles which refute the drug company's position.
Unfortunately, the conventional media still appears to be sold out hence the lack of notification of the results of this study. There are times when estrogen is necessary however. I believe if phytoestrogens are unable to stop the hot flashes then it would be wise to use small amounts of estrogens to stop them. Waking up every night with hot flashes is a sure fire prescription for depression and increased risk of disease. So, in this case, the estrogen is the lesser of two evils. It should be used for the shortest time possible and always with the intent of weaning oneself off of it.
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