Hormone Replacement Therapy Doesn't Cause Memory Loss, May Cause Minor Speech Disturbances

A new study shows that women who are considering the option of hormone replacement therapy may no longer need to worry about cognitive disadvantages. However, small speech disturbances may be seen in women who are using some of these treatments for a longer duration. 

In a study that tracked more than 1,300 women who were given hormone medications called conjugated equine estrogens (CEEs), no memory loss or increased risk of dementia was linked to the treatments. These procedures involve a synthetic mixture of estrogen that's used to treat common symptoms of menopause, including hot flashes and vaginal dryness. Hormone replacement therapy has also been known to help stave off bone loss.

A randomized study of postmenopausal women between the ages of 50 and 55 either receiving hormone therapy or placebos were examined. Following a seven year period, researchers followed up with the women to determine any overall differences in cognitive function between those taking the medications and the placebos.

"Our findings provide reassurance that CEE-based therapies when administered to women earlier in the postmenopausal period do not seem to convey long-term adverse consequences for cognitive function," wrote the researchers, led by Dr. Mark A. Espeland, a professor of bio-statistics and researcher at the Women's Health Center of Excellence for Research at Wake Forest School of Medicine in Winston-Salem, N.C.

While researchers noted some minor speech disturbances in a few participants taking the drugs longer-term, no significant differences were noticed.

The Mayo Clinic refers to Menopause as the permanent end of menstruation and fertility which is defined by the 12 months following a woman's last menstrual period. Menopause can happen in a woman's 40s or 50s but the average age is 51 in the United States.

As this is a natural biological process, it ends the cycle of fertility, but in no way prevents a healthy sexual life. Health experts note that it's best to seek medical attention if you or your loved one going through this experience feel they could benefit from treatments. 

The findings for the study can be found in JAMA Internal Medicine.