Hormone Therapy In Early Post-Menopause Has No Effect On Memory

Hormone therapy taken in the first few years after menopause does not appear to affect a woman's memory, but may lead to increased sexual interest, according to a study published in the September 25, 2007, issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

The study, the largest to date examining the effects of hormone therapy in early post-menopausal women, involved 180 women between the ages of 45 and 55 who had finished their last menstrual cycle in the past one to three years. The women were randomly given placebo or hormone therapy consisting of daily estrogen and progesterone for four months. The women also underwent tests on memory, attention, cognitive function, emotional status, sexuality, and sleep.

The study found no significant difference in cognition among women taking hormone therapy compared to women taking placebo.