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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Politics
Ian Sample Science editor

Early menopause ‘may make women more likely to develop dementia’

Woman applying oestrogen patch
A woman applying an oestrogen patch for hormone replacement therapy. The researchers say HRT may benefit brain health as well as improving common menopause symptoms. Photograph: Anna Watson/Alamy

Women who enter the menopause early may be more likely to develop dementia, according to US researchers, who found that starting hormone replacement therapy around the time of diagnosis appeared to remove the risk.

The findings are tentative, and need to be confirmed by larger studies, but suggest that starting hormone therapy soon after the first symptoms occur may be better for brain health as well as reducing heart disease and other medical issues linked to the menopause.

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