Estrogen

Prempro May Increase Alzheimers: Women's Health Initiative Memory Study, which involved 4,532 women who used Prempro estrogen-progestin pills for an average of more than four years. It was funded in part by Prempro maker Wyeth Pharmaceuticals. Probable dementia was diagnosed in 61 women — 40 in the hormone group and 21 taking placebo. Effect of estrogen plus progestin on global cognitive function in postmenopausal women: the Women's Health Initiative Memory Study: a randomized controlled trial. Rapp SR, Espeland MA, Shumaker SA, Henderson VW, Brunner RL, Manson JE, Gass ML, Stefanick ML, Lane DS, Hays J, Johnson KC, Coker LH, Dailey M, Bowen D; WHIMS Investigators. JAMA. 2003 May 28;289(20):2663-72. Some experts think that it is the progesterone that is causing the problem, not the estrogen, and that it may even be the particular type of progesterone use.

Estrogen May Help Tacrine in Treating AD: DB 30 wk placebo multicenter of 318 women tacrine vs placebo. Women on ERT (14% of women in study) did better with tacrine. Ann NY Acad Sci 9/97 826:317-22

Elderly Women on Estrogen Do Better: 2542 non-demented elderly women tested with Mini-Mental State Exam and those on estrogen did best, those on estrogen in past did intermediate after all controls. Steffens, Duke Univ, APA 5/30/98

Estrogen Protective in Italy: Study of 2816 found RR 0.28 for estrogen use in 65-84yo females with 12% of Italian women on estrogen. Neurol 4/98;50:996

ERT No Help for AD: 120 hysterectomized women age 60+ mild to moderate AD. 3 groups: 0.625 mg/d estrogen, 1.25 mg or placebo followed for 15 months (12 months on estrogen); JAMA 2/23/00 (small study)

ERT Helped Non-demented Memory: Matched study of 103 women 50-89yo and 80 controls found ERT helped increase verbal memory. Amer J Psychiatry 2/2001

Raloxifene No Benefit: Study of 7478 Women on 60mg, 120mg/d, or placebo for 3 years. No significant difference between groups on cognitive scores. Eli Lilly & UCSF, Yaffe K et al: Cognitive funciton in postmenopausal women treated with relosifene. NEJM 01;344:1207-13