Hormone replacement therapy, often taken by women who are experiencing the downsides of post-menopausal hormone change, has another effect: It seem to protect against dementia.
The important kicker, though, is that to get the most of that benefit it needs to be started early, according to a new study out of Weill Cornell Medicine. And by “early” they mean as soon as menopausal symptoms start, i.e., in perimenopause.
If that happens — if she starts taking them early and keeps going for 10 or more years — “there was a 26% reduced risk of dementia.”
Quoth the lead researcher:
“[I]n the right woman, at the right dose, and for the right duration of time, I believe that hormone replacement therapy can be one of our most powerful tools to reduce a woman’s risk for cognitive