News: HRT Causes Brain Shrinkage

Hi everyone! I just read an article published on Medical News Today that says that HRT has been linked to brain shrinkage in older women.

The article, dated January 15th, says that researchers conducted MRI scans on 1,400 women between the ages of 71 and 89, all of whom had been a part of the giant WHI study. They found that those who had been taking HRT (as opposed to placebo) showed significant losses in brain tissue mass, particularly in the areas of the hippocampus and frontal lobes, which are essential for memory and critical thinking.

The authors of the study said that HRT may accelerate neurodegenerative diseases, and increase the risk for mental decline and dementia, though the exact mechanism for these effects on the brain remains unclear.

So far, these effects have only been observed in women who were 64 years and older at the time of the WHI study, but the researchers plan to conduct tests on younger women to see how HRT might have effected brain structure and mental function.

It seems to me that, for most menopausal women, the only real benefit that HRT can hope to provide is relief from hot flashes. All of the other supposed “blessings” that were once touted for HRT have turned out to be curses. I’m glad that I quit the HRT, and wish that I’d done more homework before I started.

You can read the article here:

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/135508.php

Lisa