HRT provides no brain benefits for young menopausal women, new study finds

Taking hormone replacement therapy soon after menopause starts wont protect against memory problems or other signs of cognitive decline that occurs with aging, according to a new analysis of a landmark clinical trial published online Monday in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine. It also, though, wont harm brain function in middle-aged women who take hormone therapy to relieve menopausal hot flashes, night sweats, and mood swings.

Thats reassuring news to those seeking menopausal symptom relief from hormone therapy but may also be worried about previous research showing that hormones speed cognitive decline and increase the risk of dementia in elderly women.

Researchers from the Brigham and Womens Hospital and elsewhere relied on data from more than 1300 female participants, ages 50 to 55, who were randomly assigned to take HRT for an average of seven years as part of the Womens Health Initiative clinical trial. Cognitive testingperformed about seven years after the trial endedfound no differences in memory, problem-solving, or learning skills in those who took hormone therapy and those who took placebos.

What the latest analysis didnt address is whether taking hormones right at the onset of menopausewhen symptoms occur-- have any benefits or risks in terms of cognitive function. The volunteers who participated in the Womens Health Initiative had all gone through menopause years earlier.

But it does give pause to the window of opportunity theory that suggests women who take HRT to alleviate menopausal symptoms may enjoy certain health benefits that they dont get when they take it later in life. Recent research suggests a decreased heart disease risk in women who take hormones right after the onset of menopause.

In contrast to these multiple studies of timing of hormone initiation and heart disease, wrote Francine Grodstein, an epidemiologist at Brigham and Womens Hospital in an editorial that accompanied the study, similarly convincing evidence, including the report in this issue, has not accumulated regarding such a window of opportunity for protecting the brain against the ravages of aging.

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HRT provides no brain benefits for young menopausal women, new study finds