美国神经学会的一项大规模研究发现，在晚年使用仅含雌激素激素替代疗法的女性患痴呆症的风险降低39%，脑部阿尔茨海默病迹象降低35%[1]。这项包含21,462名参与者的研究分析了两个数据集中的参与者信息，其中1,953人使用过激素疗法，19,509人未使用[1]。研究通过生前检测和死后尸检数据发现，激素疗法使用者脑部淀粉样蛋白沉积和tau缠结等病理特征明显减少[1]。
具体而言，使用激素疗法的女性中18%在尸检时无阿尔茨海默病迹象，而未使用者仅为10%[1]。此外，显示全部三种阿尔茨海默病迹象的使用者占40%，相比之下未使用者占51%[1]。研究的参与者平均年龄71岁，随访期约3至5年，使用激素疗法的女性平均在70岁后才开始使用[1]。
研究作者Jennifer Bruno强调，这些发现帮助我们更好地理解激素疗法使用与痴呆症各项指标之间的关系，但在向女性提出关于这些疗法与脑部健康的建议之前，还需要进行更多研究[1]。研究已于2026年8月12日发表在《神经学》杂志上[1]。
A large-scale study by the American Academy of Neurology examining over 21,000 participants found that women who used estrogen-only hormone replacement therapy in their later years showed a 39% lower risk of dementia diagnosis and a 35% lower risk of Alzheimer's disease pathology markers in the brain [1]. The research analyzed participants from two datasets, including both pre-mortem assessments and post-mortem autopsy data, revealing that hormone therapy users had notably reduced amyloid deposits and tau tangles compared to non-users [1].
Among women who underwent autopsy, 18% of those who had used hormone therapy showed no signs of Alzheimer's disease, compared to 10% of non-users [1]. Additionally, 40% of hormone therapy users displayed all three hallmark Alzheimer's pathologies, while 51% of non-users showed this pattern [1]. The study included 1,953 hormone therapy users and 19,509 non-users, with participants averaging 71 years old and followed for approximately 3 to 5 years [1]. Women in the hormone therapy group typically began treatment after age 70 [1].
However, researchers emphasized that these findings demonstrate association rather than causation. Jennifer Bruno, one of the study authors, stated: "While these findings help us better understand the relationship between hormone therapy use and various markers of dementia, more research needs to be done before we can make recommendations to women about their use of these therapies in relation to their brain health" [1]. The research was published in Neurology on August 12, 2026 [1].