HRT ‘potentially important’ in reducing women’s dementia risk

A woman applying an oestrogen gel as part of hormone replacement therapy. Photograph: Phanie/Alamy

Hormone replacement therapy may help prevent Alzheimer’s disease in millions of women at risk of developing the condition, research suggests.

Dementia is one of the world’s biggest health threats. The number of people living with the condition worldwide is set to nearly triple to 153 million by 2050, and experts have warned it presents a major and rapidly growing threat to future health and social care systems in every community, country and continent.