Lack of postmenopausal estrogen replacement therapy and the risk of dementia.

Estrogen replacement therapy (ERT) and associated risks for ischemic vascular dementia (IVD) and dementia of the Alzheimer's type (DAT) among postmenopausal women were investigated by determining whether ERT was differently distributed among control subjects than among subjects with dementia. Subjects included 93 with probable DAT, 65 with probable IVD, and 148 normal control subjects. The proportion of control subjects on ERT was almost 2:1, and this ratio holds for both dementia groups. Logistic regression suggests lack of ERT is associated with increased risk for dementia among elderly women. ERT may eventually prove to be a useful prophylactic agent for reducing risk of DAT and IVD among postmenopausal women.