Study Reveals No Long-Term Effects of Short-Term Menopause Therapy: What You Need to Know
A study led by Carey E. Gleason, Ph.D., from the University of Wisconsin, examined the effects of hormone therapy on cognition. The research team included N. Maritza Dowling, Ph.D., from George Washington University, and Firat Kara, Ph.D., from the Mayo Clinic. They analyzed data from the Kronos Early Estrogen Prevention Study (KEEPS). In this study, 727 women received either a transdermal patch of estradiol or oral conjugated equine estrogens with micronized progesterone over four years, from 2005 to 2008.
About ten years later, the KEEPS Continuation Study occurred from 2017 to 2022. The team identified 275 of the original participants. These women underwent cognitive tests that assessed memory, mental flexibility, and attention. The results showed no long-term effects of hormone therapy on cognitive performance.
What are the long-term effects of hormone therapy on cognitive function in postmenopausal women according to the KEEPS study?
Interview with Dr. Carey E. Gleason: Insights from the KEEPS Study on Hormone Therapy and Cognition
Interviewer: Thank you for joining us today, Dr. Gleason. Your recent study on hormone therapy and cognition has garnered significant interest. Can you explain the primary aim of your research?
Dr. Gleason: Thank you for having me. Our primary aim was to investigate the long-term effects of hormone therapy, specifically estrogen, on cognitive function in postmenopausal women. We wanted to determine whether the treatments administered during the Kronos Early Estrogen Prevention Study (KEEPS) had lasting impacts on memory, attention, and mental flexibility.
Interviewer: The KEEPS study involved a considerable number of participants and various hormone therapies. Could you briefly describe the methodology used?
Dr. Gleason: Certainly. In the original KEEPS, which ran from 2005 to 2008, we recruited 727 women who were assigned to either a transdermal patch of estradiol or to oral conjugated equine estrogens combined with micronized progesterone. Approximately ten years after the initial study, we conducted the KEEPS Continuation Study from 2017 to 2022, where we reassessed cognitive function in 275 of those original participants. We used a series of cognitive tests focusing on memory, mental flexibility, and attention to evaluate any changes.
Interviewer: What were the key findings from the KEEPS Continuation Study regarding cognitive performance?
Dr. Gleason: Our findings were quite compelling. We observed no long-term effects of hormone therapy on cognitive performance among the participants. This suggests that, at least in this study group, hormone therapy does not appear to have lingering positive or negative impacts on cognitive abilities years after treatment ended.
Interviewer: That’s intriguing. Given the results, what recommendations do you and your team have for future research in this area?
Dr. Gleason: We believe it’s crucial for future studies to explore broader health outcomes associated with menopausal hormone therapy. While our focus was on cognition, other areas such as mood changes and the impact on Alzheimer’s disease biomarkers warrant further investigation. These aspects may provide a more comprehensive understanding of hormone therapy’s effects on women’s health.
Interviewer: What do you hope the medical community takes away from your research?
Dr. Gleason: I hope our research encourages more nuanced discussions about hormone therapy among healthcare providers and patients. It’s an important part of menopause management, and understanding its implications beyond just cognitive function is vital for informed decision-making.
Interviewer: Thank you, Dr. Gleason, for sharing your insights. We look forward to seeing further developments in this important field.
Dr. Gleason: Thank you for having me—I appreciate the opportunity to discuss our work.
The researchers emphasized the importance of further studies. They suggested exploring additional health outcomes linked to menopausal hormone therapy beyond cognitive ability. Future research could include areas like mood and Alzheimer’s disease biomarkers.