Hormone replacement therapy has already been connected to an increased risk of cardiovascular problems among older women now, a new study suggests a link to brain shrinkage as well.
Findings from the Womens Health Initiative Memory study indicate that estrogen-based treatments raise an older womans chances of developing dementia or suffering cognitive decline.
The researchers used MRI to assess the participants brain volumes, looking specifically at the hippocampus and frontal lobe, as they both play a role in thinking and memory.
According to the findings, which are published in Neurology, those who had taken HRT had slightly smaller brain volumes in these areas.
“Our findings suggest that hormone therapy in older post-menopausal women has a negative effect on brain structures important in maintaining normal memory functioning,” the authors wrote.
They said that the effect was strongest among post-menopausal women who had already experienced some memory problems before beginning HRT, which suggested the therapy could have sped up cognitive decline.
Some women who experience estrogen fluctuations find that nutritional supplements help balance their hormones.