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Estrogen replacement therapy and memory in older women
D Robinson1, L Friedman, R Marcus
1Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Palo Alto, California.
Journal of the American Geriatrics Society
|September 1, 1994
Summary
Estrogen hormone replacement therapy improved proper name recall in older women. Word recall showed no significant difference, but estrogen users had greater variability in name recall scores.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Gerontology
- Endocrinology
Background:
- Cognitive function in aging is a significant concern.
- Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is used by many postmenopausal women.
- The impact of estrogen on memory in older women requires further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between estrogen hormone replacement therapy (HRT) and memory recall in healthy older women.
- To examine recall of proper names and general words as specific cognitive measures.
Main Methods:
- A case-control study design was employed.
- 72 women using estrogen HRT were matched with 72 women not using estrogen based on age and education.
- Performance was assessed using proper name and word recall tests.
Main Results:
- Women using estrogen HRT demonstrated significantly better proper name recall compared to the non-estrogen group (P=0.01).
- A greater variance in name recall scores was observed in the estrogen-using group.
- No significant difference in word recall was found between the two groups (P>0.10).
Conclusions:
- Estrogen therapy is linked to enhanced recall of proper names in older women.
- Variability in memory measures and inter-individual differences may explain previous inconsistent findings.
- The retrospective nature of the study warrants cautious interpretation of the results.