Study shows that hormone replacement therapy may improve women's memory

Reported by Susan Aldridge, PhD, medical journalist

Hormone replacement therapy can help women to retain certain memory functions.
Many women experience memory problems during and after menopause which may be linked to hormonal changes. Researchers at the University of Michigan Health System now report on a study of how hormone replacement therapy (HRT) affects the memory. They looked at ten postmenopausal women aged 50 to 60 and gave them either HRT or placebo for four weeks, then four weeks with no treatment and then the next four weeks on the other treatment.

The women were given a test of visual memory with a brain imaging scan. Those on HRT showed more activity during the task than those on placebo. These findings contrast with other research that show long-term HRT does not prevent chronic illness. It may be that short-term HRT has a useful role in preventing memory loss - this is worthy of further investigation.

Source
Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism November 2006

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