A new study published in Science Advances has found a link between menopausal hormone therapy and faster accumulation of tau, a hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease, in the brains of older women. Researchers at Mass General Brigham discovered that women over 70 who used hormone therapy for more than a decade experienced faster tau accumulation in specific brain regions.
The study compared brain imaging data from 73 women who had used hormone therapy before age 70 and 73 age-matched women who had not. The findings suggest that delaying initiation of hormone therapy may lead to worse Alzheimer’s outcomes in older women. The researchers also found no significant difference in amyloid beta accumulation, but rather a significant difference in how fast tau accumulated.
The study’s authors hope their findings will inform discussions between patients and clinicians about Alzheimer’s disease risk and treatment options. According to the study’s senior author, Rachel F. Buckley, delaying hormone therapy may lead to worse Alzheimer’s outcomes, especially for older women who are at risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease.
The study’s results have implications for cognitive decline and reproductive health in women. The researchers suggest that their findings will help to inform discussions about AD risk relating to women’s reproductive health and treatment options.
Source: https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-03-hormone-therapy-older-women-linked.html