Estrogens, aging and Alzheimer's dosiase

Abstract

The possible protective role of estrogens in aging and Alzheimer‘s disease, is presently a subject of considerable interest and research. There are evidences that decreased estrogen production after menopause is associated with cognitive deterioration that can be prevented or corrected with hormonal substitution therapy (HST). Some studies have concluded that HST with estrogens is related with a decreased risk of developing Alzheimer‘s disease or, at least, with a delay in its onset. Other clinical studies show, though preliminarily, that estrogens can improve cognitive functions in women with Alzheimer‘s disease. Nevertheless, these evidences are not yet sufficient to recommend indiscriminate use of estrogens either in all postmenopausal women or in those affected by dementia. It will be necessary to wait for the results of the prospective WH1-MS study, that will analyze the effects of HST on the development of dementia in a large female population. Faced with an incurable illness, like Alzheimer‘s disease, any therapy that offers a delay in the age of onset, reduces its severity or the speed of progression, or produces an improvement in the quality of life, becomes a matter of interest for those affected and for the scientific community that studies this disorder.