Can HRT help my mental ability?

Can HRT help my mental ability?

You may find that you are less able to cope with psychological stress after the menopause. Oestrogen replacement therapy has been shown to return this response to pre-menopause levels. A trial of oestrogen and/or androgen (placebo & controlled trials) compared to a placebo (a look-a-like preparation but without the active drug) demonstrated improved mental ability with HRT in women who have had a surgical menopause (removal of the ovaries usually in association with hysterectomy). Tests of short-term and long-term memory and logical reasoning were better in those patients receiving oestrogen replacement when compared to those having the placebo. Headaches, anxiety and insomnia responded to oestrogen better than to a placebo and memory was also improved.

A study ten years ago reported a 50% reduction in the incidence of stroke related deaths although other studies have not confirmed this observation. There is some evidence that oestrogen deficiency is a risk factor for Alzheimer's disease. In a prospective study, 8879 women in the Leisure World Laguna Hills, a retirement community in California, have been assessed regularly since 1981. For each woman participating in the study, a detailed medical history was recorded and her use of HRT was documented. Alzheimer's disease (senile dementia) was included on the death certificate in 138 women. The relative risk (Q33.27) of developing Alzheimer's disease was 0.69 (30% reduction) for those who had taken HRT and the risk decreased with increasing dose and duration of HRT. Long-term HRT may improve cerebral (brain) function (mental ability) for women with mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease. Low dose HRT does not seem to be as effective.

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