New Study Says Estrogen Not Effective on Alzheimerâ€™s

About four million Americans suffer from Alzheimer's disease, twice as many women as men. Past research has suggested that estrogen may be helpful to women with the disease. But new findings suggest

Wednesday, February 23rd 2000, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

About four million Americans suffer from Alzheimer's disease, twice as many women as men. Past research has suggested that estrogen may be helpful to women with the disease. But new findings suggest the hormone may not be effective in treating Alzheimer's.

Estrogen replacement therapy doesn't appear to work as a treatment for Alzheimer's disease. The hormone doesn't improve memory or slow mental deterioration in women with mild to moderate Alzheimer's. The new findings are published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. "This was a disappointing result, but at the same time it's important to know this,â€ said Columbia Universityâ€™s Mary Sano. â€œWe often try to treat serious diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease, with
anything that we think might be helpful."

Based on several small studies suggesting a benefit, some doctors have been prescribing estrogen as a treatment for Alzheimer's patients. This latest study does not mean all is lost with estrogen and Alzheimer's. Other studies suggest estrogen may be effective in preventing or slowing the onset of the disease. A new study, designed to answer that question is now underway. "It's possible that at our healthy stage, estrogen provides a protective benefit,â€ Sano said. â€œSo that other factors that may be responsible for Alzheimerâ€™s disease are reduced in terms of lowering the threshold."

Hormone therapy isn't for everyone. It carries the risk of breast cancer. For women trying to decide if they should take hormone replacement or not -- researchers say the decision shouldn't be based on the desire to prevent or delay Alzheimer's.