Twice as many women get Alzheimer's disease than men. This is partly due to their living longer than men on average, partly because women are more prone than men to get diabetes, but also in large part because in post-menopausal women there is a decline of the important hormone estrogen. For many years, estrogen has been prescribed to relieve symptoms of menopause. Despite a recent large-scale clinical study on women which recommended discontinuation of Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) because it was both ineffective and had potentially dangerous side effects, a number of clinical researchers continue to regard it as worthy of further study. Any decision regarding the use of HRT should be made in consultation with a physician.
