Estrogen is thought to increase the risk of Alzheimer’s disease in women

Estrogen is thought to play a role in a woman’s risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease (AD), new study finds

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) accounts for 60-70% of all dementia diagnoses, and about two-thirds of people with AD are women.

A new study has examined the association between a woman’s reproductive lifespan as an indicator of endogenous estrogen exposure and cerebrospinal fluid biomarker levels.

During the study, a small sample of women without dementia and who had undergone natural menopause was followed for 25 years.

Cerebrospinal fluid samples

Based on the results of the cerebrospinal fluid samples, the researchers concluded that longer reproductive life was associated with increased levels of AD biomarkers in the preclinical phase of the disease.

“This small, population-based study showed an association between length of reproductive life (a surrogate marker for endogenous estrogen exposure) and Alzheimer’s disease biomarkers in the cerebrospinal fluid of women without dementia. This finding needs to be confirmed in larger studies, but may be another contributing factor to the increased burden of Alzheimer’s disease in women which, at least in part, is likely linked to aging and longer life expectancy. longer for women compared to men, ”says Dr Stephanie Faubion, NAMS Medical Director.

The results of the study were published online in the article “Reproductive period and preclinic cerebrospinal liquid markers for Alzheimer disease: a 25-year study” in Menopause, the journal of the North American Menopause Society (NAMS).