Document Type
Article
Department
Brain and Mind Institute
Abstract
Female sex is associated with higher incidence and risk of dementia. Estrogen may rep-resent one important mechanism contributing to the increase in incidence rates. In thisreview, we synthesize narratively the evidence for associations between estrogen—across the life course from menarche to menopause, estrogen-containing hormonalcontraception and hormone replacement therapies, and pregnancy—with potentialmodifiable risk factors for dementia. These include education, hearing loss, traumaticbrain injury, hypertension, alcohol use, obesity, smoking, depression, physical inactiv-ity, diabetes, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, social isolation, air pollution,and untreated visual loss, as well as apolipoprotein E ε4. In addition, evidence is sum-marized for associations with sleep, diet, and stress. Evidence suggests that estrogenis associated with some of these modifiable risk factors for dementia, particularly LDLcholesterol, smoking, and depression. Research needs to further define these associa-tions and understand whether interventions targeting estrogen levels at key life stagescould offer intervention opportunities to reduce future risk of dementia in women.
Publication (Name of Journal)
Alzheimer's & dementia : the journal of the Alzheimer's Association
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1002/alz.70873
Recommended Citation
Gregory, S.,
Bridgeman, K.,
Darwin, H.,
Barbato, M.,
Booi, L.,
Serrat, A.,
Chadha, A.,
Farina, F.,
Jenkins, N.,
Cheserem, B.
(2025). Associations of estrogen with modifiable and non-modifiable risk factors for dementia: A narrative review. Alzheimer's & dementia : the journal of the Alzheimer's Association, 21, 1-24.
Available at:
https://ecommons.aku.edu/bmi/480
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.