Traditionally, you may be familiar with estrogen as a female hormone that has positive effects for a woman’s health while promoting bodily development. Perhaps you have heard of women taking estrogen hormonal therapy to cope with the imbalance caused by menopause?
With this in mind, I want to share with you a recent French study published in the medical journal Neurology, which suggests, women with high levels of estrogen have more than double the risk of dementia.
Dr. Pierre Yves-Scarabin, MD the research director at the France National Institute of Health (NIH) calls the results “surprising” in that they “challenge this [prevailing] dogma” that estrogen protects a woman’s brain and heart. The French researchers also found that for diabetic women with high estrogen levels, the risk of dementia may increase 14-fold!
However, there is still a lack of consensus on the issue within the scientific community. For instance, the study is met with opposition from MedicineNet’s medical editors, Barbara and Frederick Hecht. They comment on the NIH headline, which reads “Estrogen-Alone Therapy Could Increase Risk of Disease in Older Women”, calling it “misleading”, and argue that the results of their study are not significant enough to show a relationship.
Additionally, Dr. Yves-Scarabin notes that while the underlying reasons by which elevated estrogen levels increase the risk for dementia still need clarification, it is possible that diabetes and elevated estrogen act “synergistically”. He notes that women with both diabetes and “hyperestrogenicity” may be a well-suited choice for use in future prevention studies.
While there still seems to be some controversy surrounding the link between high estrogen levels, diabetes, and dementia, perhaps it is worth speaking to your doctor about this matter. In the meantime, we will do our best to keep you posted on the latest studies on this topic.
On a side note…March 8th is International Woman’s day! I’m very definitely a woman and I enjoy it. ~ Marilyn Monroe
Karen 🙂
