Professor of Brain Science Dr. Jill Daniel
A Tulane University study is researching to see if estrogen can help women overcome cognitive issues later in life. Professor of Brain Science Dr. Jill Daniel said they are using rodents to test the theory and so far, it appears that short-term estrogen use in middle age leads to improved brain health long after use.
“If a woman is healthy, going into her 50s, the thought is that estrogen will be neuroprotective and will be beneficial for brain health,” said Daniel.
Estrogen use, also known as Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) is usually given to women to treat menopausal systems like hot flashes on a short-term basis.
Because women are almost twice as likely to develop Alzheimer’s compared to men, and Daniel said they are investigating to see if the typical drop in estrogen due to menopause is a factor.
“Women lose their source of estrogen in middle age, whereas men keep their source of testosterone as they age. So that’s one of the thoughts as to why women are at increased risk of Alzheimer’s as compared to men,” said Daniel.
After a study in early 2002 linking HRT to an increase in breast cancer the use of HRT dropped dramatically. But Daniel said since the initial study there’s been more thorough research that indicates otherwise, depending on a woman’s overall health.
“We’re trying to figure out how estrogen affects the brain, and what are the overall risks versus benefits, that’s what we’re trying to find out,” said Daniel.
Daniel has been awarded a $2.69 million grant from the National Institute on Aging of the National Institutes of Health to continue the study.
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