Publication
Title
Alzheimer's disease, apolipoprotein E and hormone replacement therapy
Author
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease is the most frequent cause of dementia in older patients. The prevalence is higher in women than in men. This may be the result of both the higher life expectancy of women and the loss of neuroprotective estrogen after menopause. Earlier age at menopause (spontaneous or surgical) is associated with an enhanced risk of developing Alzheimer's disease. Therefore, it is postulated that estrogen could be protective against it. If so, increasing exposure to estrogen through the use of postmenopausal hormone replacement could also be protective against Alzheimer's disease. The results of the clinical studies that have examined this hypothesis are inconclusive, however. One explanation for this is that estrogen treatment is protective only if it is initiated in the years immediately after menopause. Another possibility is that the neuroprotective effects of estrogen are negated by a particular genotype of apolipoprotein E. This protein plays an important role in cholesterol transport to the neurons. Studies that have examined the link between estrogen replacement therapy, Alzheimer's disease and the E4 allele of ApoE are inconclusive. This article reviews the literature on the influence of hormone replacement therapy on the incidence and progression of Alzheimer's disease. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.
Language
English
Source (journal)
Maturitas: journal of the climacteric and postmenopause. - Limerick
Publication
Clare : Elsevier ireland ltd , 2016
ISSN
0378-5122
DOI
10.1016/J.MATURITAS.2016.09.009
Volume/pages
94 (2016) , p. 98-105
ISI
000388153800017
Pubmed ID
27823753
Full text (Publisher's DOI)
Full text (publisher's version - intranet only)
UAntwerpen
Faculty/Department
Research group
Publication type
Subject
Affiliation
Publications with a UAntwerp address
External links
Web of Science
Record
Identifier
Creation 10.01.2017
Last edited 09.10.2023
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