A study has suggested a surprising link between certain medications and healthier brain vessels. Here’s what you need to know according to Alzheimer’s Research UK
More research needed, but study could be promising(Image: Getty)
A new study has discovered a link between brain health and oral contraceptives as well as menopausal hormone therapy (MHT). Following their publication, Alzheimer’s Research UK – the UK’s leading dementia research charity – said the findings were “interesting” but more information was needed.
The study, published in Neurology, states that “women are disproportionately affected by Alzheimer’s disease (AD), a vulnerability that may be linked to fluctuations in estrogen throughout life. Estrogens have neuroprotective and vasoprotective effects, suggesting that lifelong estrogen exposure may influence both AD-related neurodegeneration and cerebrovascular health. »
The research, involving 352 women with an average age of 70, found that a longer reproductive lifespan was associated with fewer signs of damage to the brain’s small blood vessels. Women who used oral contraceptives or MHT also showed signs of better brain health.
This included stronger, healthier connections between different regions of the brain and, among MHT users, fewer signs of damage to the brain’s small blood vessels. Since this is an observational study, it cannot prove cause and effect.
The study’s discussion reads: “Greater lifetime exposure to estrogens, both endogenous and exogenous, was associated with lower cerebrovascular pathology among women and, among APOE-ε4 carriers, greater cortical thickness in regions vulnerable to AD. These results confirm the potential role of cerebrovascular mechanisms linking estrogen exposure to brain aging. Limitations included observational design and self-reported binary estrogen exposure. Potential cognitive effects require further study. »
This means that more research is needed to clarify what these findings might mean for women’s brain health as they age.
‘These results are interesting,’ says Alzheimer’s Research UK
Dr Honorine Lebraud, senior partnerships manager at Alzheimer’s Research UK, said: “This study builds on growing evidence that reproductive and hormonal history may play a role in brain health as women age.
“Researchers found that women who had a longer reproductive lifespan and therefore experienced a longer period of natural estrogen exposure, from their first period until menopause, tended to show fewer signs of damage to the small blood vessels of the brain. Meanwhile, women who used estrogen-based birth control pills or hormone therapy for menopause were more likely to have additional signs of improved brain health.
“While these findings are interesting, more research is needed to understand these trends, especially since nearly two-thirds of people with dementia are women. As an observational study, it cannot show that hormone exposure directly improves brain health or reduces the risk of dementia.
“At this time, our advice remains unchanged. Women should not start or stop taking the contraceptive pill or HRT to reduce their risk of dementia based on these findings. Decisions about hormone treatments should continue to be made with a healthcare professional, based on individual health needs.”
You can find the study – Reproductive lifespan and hormonal therapy in relation to neurovascular health in later life in community-dwelling older women – here.
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