A new study suggests estrogen may delay the onset of Alzheimer's disease, according to the Los Angeles Alzheimer's Association. Research published this week in the journal Lancet shows that age of onset for Alzheimer's was later, and the relative risk of getting the disease was lower, in post-menopausal women who took estrogen than in women who did not take the hormone. The results held up even after adjustment for differences in education, ethnic group and genetic predisposition to Alzheimer's. Now we must find ways to improve the effectiveness of these treatments by building on these positive results. According to Cherry, more specific information, such as dose and duration, is needed to determine the delaying effects of estrogen therapy.
Questions remain about the safety of prolonged estrogen use.
Scientists hope to isolate the mechanism in estrogen that has the beneficial effect so that safety may be increased, and men may benefit as well as women. It is an ancillary study to the Women's Health Initiative of the National Institutes of Health and will last at least six years and involve more than 8,000 post-menopausal women age 65 and older. The Alzheimer's Association is the only national voluntary health organization dedicated to conquering Alzheimer's disease through research and providing support and assistance to those afflicted with the disease and their caregivers. The goal of the Ronald and Nancy Reagan Research Institute, launched by the association in November 1995, is to delay the onset of, and eventually prevent, Alzheimer's disease. Consulting Group Inc. All rights reserved.