High estrogen levels in men tied to mental decline

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – Higher levels of estrogen are
associated with an increased risk of cognitive decline and
Alzheimer’s disease in older men, according to a report from
the Netherlands.

Men normally have some estrogen, albeit at levels usually
much lower than in women. Previous reports have tied estrogen
therapy with cognitive decline in women, but it was unclear if
high levels of natural estrogen would have a similar effect in
men, researchers note in the Annals of Neurology for July 24.

To investigate, Dr. Mirjam Geerlings, from the University
Medical Center Utrecht, and colleagues evaluated hormone levels
and cognitive function in 2974 older men who were followed, on
average, for 6 years as part of the Honolulu-Asia Aging Study.

During follow-up, 134 men developed Alzheimer’s disease and
44 men developed another type of dementia, the report
indicates.

With increasing levels of estrogen, the risk of Alzheimer’s
disease rose, the team found. In addition, men with higher
estrogen levels scored a few points lower on a standard
cognitive function test than those with the lowest levels.

By contrast, testosterone levels seemed to have no impact
on mental functioning. Overall, the results suggest that
contrary to other reports, androgen replacement therapy would
not help prevent cognitive decline in healthy men.

SOURCE: Annals of Neurology, July 24, 2006.