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Estrogen replacement therapy and cognitive functioning in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study
M Szklo1, J Cerhan, A V Diez-Roux
1Department of Epidemiology, School of Hygiene and Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.
American Journal of Epidemiology
|December 1, 1996
Summary
Estrogen replacement therapy (ERT) showed no consistent link to cognitive function in women aged 48-67. A small benefit was seen in word fluency for surgically menopausal women using ERT.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Endocrinology
- Public Health
Background:
- Cognitive decline is a significant concern for aging women.
- Estrogen replacement therapy (ERT) is used by many postmenopausal women.
- The impact of ERT on cognitive function remains an area of active research.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the association between estrogen replacement therapy (ERT) and cognitive functioning in women aged 48-67.
- To investigate if ERT influences performance on specific cognitive tests.
Main Methods:
- Utilized data from 6,110 women in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study.
- Evaluated ERT in relation to Delayed Word Recall (DWR), Digit Symbol Subtest (DSS/WAIS-R), and Word Fluency (WF) tests.
- Employed statistical adjustments for age, education, and other covariates.
Main Results:
- No consistent associations were found between ERT and DWR or DSS/WAIS-R performance.
- Surgically menopausal women (48-57 years) using ERT showed slightly higher adjusted mean WF scores (35.9) than never users (33.5).
- Within ERT users, WF scores increased with longer duration of use.
Conclusions:
- The study provides limited support for a major protective effect of ERT on cognitive function in women under 68.
- Findings suggest ERT may have a slight benefit on word fluency in younger, surgically menopausal women.
- Generalizability to older women experiencing cognitive decline is limited due to the cohort's age.