Overview

• Starting hormone therapy within five years of menopause was associated with up to a 32% lower Alzheimer’s risk in pooled results from more than 50 studies.
• Initiating therapy at age 65 or later was linked to a 38% higher risk, with stronger associations reported for progestin-containing regimens.
• Researchers combined data from clinical trials and observational studies and reported the findings at the American Neurological Association meeting in Baltimore.
• Experts and the study authors cautioned that the results are preliminary, do not prove causation, and warrant targeted randomized trials to clarify timing and formulation effects.
• The lead researcher advised against beginning hormone therapy in one’s 60s or 70s solely for brain protection and urged individualized discussions centered on menopausal symptom relief.