For women, greater exposure to estrogen in their lives may protect brain areas that are susceptible to Alzheimer’s

The results of the study were published in the November 3 issue of "Neurology"

This study is an observational study, not a clinical trial, but it adds to the evidence that estrogen may have a protective effect on the female brain, limiting the gray matter loss that usually accompanies menopause, thereby potentially reducing the risk of Alzheimer’s.

"Our results show that although menopausal transitions may make women's brains weaker, other reproductive history events indicate that more estrogen exposure can lead to recovery

Researchers estimate that nearly two-thirds of Alzheimer's patients in the United States are women

Receptors for estrogen molecules exist in various cells of the female brain.

The decrease in brain volume particularly occurs in the brain regions most affected in Alzheimer's disease, and at about the same time, it is believed that late-onset Alzheimer's disease begins a long and slow process

The other side of this hypothesis is that more estrogen, especially the accumulation of more estrogen, can offset the weakening effect of menopause on the brain

The analysis included 99 women between the ages of 46-58 and 29 men of similar age

In contrast, in women, various factors suggest that more estrogen exposure is related to greater GMV in certain areas of the brain

The researchers said that the research results support the view that estrogen has a protective effect, and suggest that further research on the specific biological pathways behind this effect may result in medical or life>

"We now hope to learn more about the details of the link between estrogen and GMV, for example, by comparing the effects of surgical menopause and spontaneous menopause, and paying particular attention to specific types of estrogen exposure, such as menopausal hormone therapy," the first author of the study , Said Eva Scherbaum, a research assistant in Dr.

Journal Reference :

1. Eva Schelbaum, Lacey Loughlin, Steven Jett, Cenai Zang, Grace Jang, Niharika Malviya, Hollie Hristov, Silky Pahlajani, Richard Isaacson, Jonathan P Dyke, Hooman Kamel, Roberta Diaz Brinton, Lisa Mosconi.