HEALTHCARE

Estrogen Replacement Therapy to Reduce Early Onset Alzheimer's In Women

Table of Contents

Introduction3

Purpose of the study4

Literature Review4

Methodology6

Research Design6

Sample Size & Instrumentation7

Data Analysis7

References8

Estrogen Replacement Therapy to Reduce Early Onset Alzheimer's In Women

Introduction

This research will be based on the statistical analysis of estrogen replacement therapy in order to reduce early onset alzheimer's in women. Alzheimer disease (AD) is the most established form of dementia among the elderly and affects females more often than males. Despite contrasting evidence, many studies indicate that hormone therapy could lower the risk for or delay the onset of Alzheimer´s in women who have experienced menopause and menopausal symptoms. Due to the fact that Alzheimer´s is most usual in women, it could be argued that reduced estrogen levels are associated with the decline in cognitive function linked to this form of dementia. Reduced estrogen levels after menopause and menopausal symptoms are a risk factor for Alzheimer´s, and neurobiological reviews have found a link between estrogen and learning and memory capacity. (Hulley et al 2002)

The majority of studies have reported that estrogen replacement therapy has positive effects on learning and memory in females that have experienced menopause and menopausal symptoms. Moreover, hormone therapy is related to a reduced risk for Alzheimer´s, although various investigations failed to find notable effects. (Pinkerton 2005)Without large randomized studies it is difficult to confirm the use of estrogen hormone therapy to prevent or defer Alzheimer´s in postmenopausal women who have experienced menopausal symptoms. (Tang et al. 1996) There is also doubt regarding the beneficial effects of estrogen hormone therapy on cognitive function occurring right after menopause and menopausal symptoms or later in life, and whether estrogen is successful in stopping the cognitive deterioration observed in normal aging and/or in pathological conditions.

Purpose of the study

The purpose of the study will be to examine whether estrogen replacement therapy reduces early onset Alzheimer's in women.

Literature Review

Estrogen replacement therapy replaces hormones that are lost during menopause. By replacing these hormones a woman can find relief from unpleasant effects of this life change. This life change can happen naturally or surgically depending on the physical wellness of each individual. (Tang et al. 1996) Natural estrogen replacement can aid in slowing bone degeneration, mental impairment, and even organ function. (Wasserheil et al. 2003) The uncomfortable side effects of menopause can also be muted by this treatment. Starting treatment after the first signs of menopause is the usual onset of management, but if a woman has not seen any signs of this change by the age of 60 she should start this type of care anyway. Women who choose this method of treatment also tend to seek natural treatments including tea and healthy eating. In addition to decreasing the unwanted side effects this type of treatment can also decrease the occurrence of heart disease and stroke by 10%.(Hulley et al 2002)

Many risks are associated with the use of estrogen replacement therapy. In addition, statistics available concerning the effects of using this type of therapy are largely based on people who used ...