Estrogen may Ward off Dementia
Reported August 30, 2007
(Ivanhoe Newswire) — Women who have one or both ovaries removed before the onset of menopause may have an increased long-term risk of cognitive impairment or dementia. However, having estrogen replacement therapy following surgery until age 50 removed any increased risk, giving insight into the role of estrogen in female brain functioning.
Researchers from the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. collected data from nearly 3,000 women over a 30-year times span. Study authors say this study provides significant evidence supporting the neurological benefits of ovarian preservation and the role of estrogen in young women.
The results of this study could impact the doctor-patient decision-making process when faced with ovary removal and estrogen therapy. “Our findings will contribute to a better understanding of the advantages and disadvantages of removing ovaries in young women,” study author Walter Rocca, M.D., Mayo Clinic neurologist, was quoted as saying.
Authors say there is a window of opportunity for prescribing estrogen replacement therapy in women who undergo ovary removal before age 50. This is before the approximate age of naturally occurring menopause, when the benefits of neuron-protection are likely to outweigh the risks of side effects of estrogen therapy. Other studies have shown when estrogen treatment is started after age 60 to 65, the risk of heart problems, stroke and cognitive impairment or dementia is increased.
Research also showed the risk for cognitive impairment or dementia increased the younger the woman was at ovary removal. Even women who had only one ovary removed had observed cognitive impairment.
“In every medical or surgical decision, there is a trade-off between risks and benefits,” Bobbie Gostout, M.D., a Mayo Clinic gynecological and obstetrical surgeon, was quoted as saying. “Therefore, a woman considering ovary removal should discuss these findings with her physician prior to the surgery to consider the long-term implications and the possible strategies for estrogen treatment following the surgery.”
SOURCE: Neurology, published online Aug. 29, 2007