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Estrogen May Reduce Dementia in Women with ParkinsonÃs Disease
ST. PAUL, MN (April 22, 1998) ñ Using estrogen could reduce the risk of dementia for women with ParkinsonÃs disease, according to a study published in the April issue of Neurology, the scientific journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
The study examined post-menopausal women with ParkinsonÃs disease and the effect of estrogen use on dementia, according to neurologist Karen Marder, MD, of Columbia University in New York.
The women studied were from the same community; 87 had ParkinsonÃs disease without dementia, 80 had dementia with ParkinsonÃs disease and 989 were healthy and did not have dementia.
"Women with ParkinsonÃs disease who reported using estrogen reduced their risk of dementia by almost five times," said Marder. "Larger doses of estrogen could give women greater protection against developing dementia."
The medicine used to treat the tremor and stiffness in ParkinsonÃs patients can cause confusion if there is also dementia. Therefore, ParkinsonÃs patients with dementia cannot tolerate the doses of medication needed to control their movement disorder. "If dementia is delayed, doctors could have greater flexibility in treating motor disorders such as tremors, rigidity, slowness and stiffness, and this may prolong a patientÃs life," said Marder. Currently, there is no effective treatment for dementia associated with ParkinsonÃs disease, added Marder.
One cause of dementia with ParkinsonÃs disease may be AlzheimerÃs disease. "Because estrogen has been associated with a reduced risk of AlzheimerÃs disease, we investigated the possibility that this might also be true in dementia with ParkinsonÃs disease," said Marder.
Protective effects of estrogen for dementia with ParkinsonÃs disease are consistent with data collected on women with AlzheimerÃs disease. It is unknown to what extent dementia with ParkinsonÃs disease overlaps with AlzheimerÃs disease.
"The study has potential limitations," said Marder. There is a possibility that estrogen use was under reported in the group of patients with dementia because information on their estrogen use was given by a family member or caregiver. Although differences in age, ethnicity and education were adjusted for analysis, these characteristics may have influenced a patientÃs opportunity to receive estrogen or the physicianÃs decision to offer estrogen.
"Unfortunately, it is too early to say how this study can benefit patients. The research is preliminary and should be followed by a clinical trial," said Marder.
Research was supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health and the ParkinsonÃs Disease Foundation.
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