Here's Reuter's on Alzheimer's:
By Randall Mikkelsen BALTIMORE, June 18 (Reuter) - A new study of the
effects of estrogen on Alzheimer's disease has found that women who took the
hormone had a 54 percent lower chance of contracting the memory-impairing
ailment, scientists said on Wednesday.
The study, reported in the current issue of the journal Neurology, bolsters
earlier research suggesting estrogen can help prevent Alzheimer's.
"We found that women in our study on estrogen replacement therapy (ERT) had a
54 percent reduction in the relative risk of developing Alzheimer's disease,"
said the lead author of the study, Dr. Claudia Kawas, an associate professor
of neurology at Johns Hopkins University.
"If this connection can be clinically confirmed, we would anticipate a
significant public health impact," Kawas said in a statement issued by Johns
Hopkins.
Alzheimer's affects about 15 percent of people over age 65 and about half
those over 85. It often begins with memory loss and can progress to severe
dementia and death. Former President Ronald Reagan suffers from the disease.
The study followed 472 post-menopausal women for up to 16 years. About 45
percent of them had used estrogen at some point. Of the entire group, 34
women were later diagnosed with Alzheimer's, but only nine of those cases
were among women who took estrogen.
After adjustments for education level, which has previously been linked to
Alzheimer's risk, the study found estrogen treatment reduced the risk by 54
percent.
Estrogen may help prevent Alzheimer's by stimulating the growth of nerve
cells, neutralizing anti-oxidants that can damage chromosomes or increasing
neurotransmitter levels, the study said.
Estrogen-sensitive nerve cells, which degenerate because of Alzheimer's
disease, exist in the brains of both men and women, the study said. But the
effects of estrogen may be different on women and men, it added.
The study said additional, controlled studies were needed to confirm the
benefits of estrogen.
22:44 06-18-97 |
