High Estrogen, Diabetes Linked to Dementia in Women
Postmenopausal women with elevated estrogen levels are at increased risk of developing dementia, and those who also have diabetes may face an even greater threat of cognitive decline, a new study suggests.
The study results are surprising, given that the prevailing belief is that estrogen protects a woman’s brain as well as her heart, said lead author Pierre-Yves Scarabin, MD, director of research, National Institute of Health and Medical Research (INSERM), and hormones and cardiovascular disease team leader, Center for Research in Epidemiology and Population Health, Villejuif, France.
The results of this new study, together with other recent research, “challenge this dogma,” and show that findings from animal models “don’t necessarily apply to women,” Dr. Scarabin stated.
At the other end of the spectrum, the study found that low levels of estrogen may also confer a higher risk for dementia, but reverses causation is probably driving this finding, said Dr. Scarabin.
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