Hormone therapy started between ages 46 and 56 linked to lower dementia risk in UK Biobank study

LONDON - Women who used hormone replacement therapy had lower later rates of dementia in a large observational analysis published in Alzheimer's and Dementia and reported by Fox News.

Researchers studied UK Biobank records for about 183,450 postmenopausal women whose average age was 60. Over roughly 13 years of follow-up, HRT use was associated with about a 10% lower risk of all-cause dementia and a 16% lower risk of Alzheimer's disease.

The association was strongest among women who started therapy between ages 46 and 56, and among those who had surgical menopause. Starting HRT after age 56 was not linked to reduced dementia risk in the reported analysis.

Dr. Alexa Fiffick, a board-certified family medicine physician in Cleveland, told Fox News Digital the work cannot prove cause and effect. Women who take HRT may differ in health, lifestyle or access to care. The study did not detail doses, delivery methods or safety events. Most participants were of European ancestry and tended to be better off financially.

Fiffick said the findings do not justify seeking HRT only for dementia prevention. She advised women with menopausal symptoms to discuss options with a clinician. Oral estrogen can raise clot risk; patches, gels and creams do not show the same clot signal in standard counseling, she said. The UK team said future randomized trials should test timing, dose and formulation.