HRT could cut Alzheimer's risk in some women - early study

Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) could trim the hazard of Alzheimer's illness among immoderate higher-risk women, researchers accidental information has suggested.

About a 4th of women successful the UK are thought to transportation a cistron called APOE4, which is known to summation the hazard of Alzheimer's disease.

The caller probe recovered HRT - which tin assistance power menopause symptoms - was associated with amended representation and larger encephalon volumes for those with the gene.

However, the researchers themselves said it was excessively aboriginal to accidental for definite whether HRT reduced dementia hazard successful women.

Alzheimer's Research UK said the findings were encouraging. but that much and larger studies were needed to assistance recognize the nexus betwixt HRT and changes to the brain.

The study, led by Professor Anne-Marie Minihane, from UEA's Norwich Medical School, with Professor Craig Ritchie astatine the University of Edinburgh, was published successful in the Alzheimer's Research & Therapy journal.

It looked astatine information from 1,178 women progressive successful the European Prevention of Alzheimer's Dementia initiative, which studies participants' encephalon wellness implicit time.

All women who took portion successful the European inaugural were implicit 50 and had nary dementia diagnosis erstwhile joining it.

This survey past looked astatine results of cognitive tests and encephalon volumes arsenic recorded by MRI scans.

Dr Rasha Saleh, from UEA's Norwich Medical School. said the findings suggested HRT usage was associated with "better representation and larger encephalon volumes" among the APOE4 cistron carriers.

If confirmed successful a objective trial, she said, the effects of HRT would "equate to a encephalon property that is respective years younger".

Prof Minihane said the probe was an "observational study" alternatively than a objective trial.

But she said the results of the survey were a "very bully finding" that would promote them to tally further studies.

The adjacent signifier volition beryllium to spell connected to a objective trial, she said.

"We'll enlistee radical who are E4 and non-E4," she told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

"Put women connected HRT, travel them up, survey them successful rather a batch of detail, and hopefully that volition supply america with a definitive reply arsenic to whether HRT is simply a truly effectual therapy successful women who transportation this E4 gene."

She added: "The different large quality I accidental was that the earlier the amended - that HRT usage seemed to beryllium peculiarly beneficial successful women who started it during the perimenopausal oregon aboriginal post-menopausal period."

Dr Sara Imarisio, caput of strategical initiatives astatine the Alzheimer's Research UK, said the survey provided grounds that HRT could person immoderate cognitive benefits, but the findings needed to beryllium confirmed with trials that straight tested it.

"The adjacent measurement is to analyse this successful much detail. Importantly, this survey didn't measurement whether women went connected to make dementia.

"So, its findings request to beryllium confirmed, archetypal successful trials that straight trial whether giving HRT affects women's cognitive abilities and changes successful their brain, peculiarly carriers of the APOE4 gene.

"This volition past assistance pave the mode for uncovering imaginable interventions, for illustration objective trials to spot if it could yet forestall dementia, and to assistance recognize wherefore dementia disproportionately affects women successful the UK."

Alzheimer's Society's subordinate manager of probe Dr Richard Oakley besides said much studies were needed.

He said: "Studies of this benignant are important arsenic they hint astatine a nexus betwixt HRT and the changes to the brain.

"We request much studies, connected a larger scale, to amended recognize this link."

Alzheimer's is much communal successful women than successful men - astir 2 thirds of Alzheimer's patients successful the UK are women.

Although the APOE4 cistron is known to summation the hazard of Alzheimer's disease, radical with the cistron volition not needfully make the condition.