Vaginal estrogen and association with dementia: A nationwide population-based study

Prescription medication use in the 10 years prior to diagnosis of young onset Alzheimer's disease: a nationwide nested case-control study

BACKGROUND

Patients with young onset Alzheimer's disease (YOAD) face long diagnostic delays. Prescription medication use may provide insights into early signs and symptoms, which may help facilitate timely diagnosis.

METHODS

In a register-based nested case-control study, we examined medication use for everyone diagnosed with YOAD in a Danish memory clinic during 2016-2020 compared to cognitively healthy controls. Prescription medication use were grouped into 13 overall categories (alimentary tract and metabolism, blood and blood forming organs, cardiovascular system, dermatologicals, genitourinary system and sex hormones, systemic hormonal preparations, antiinfectives for systemic use, antineoplastic and immunomodulating agents, musculo-skeletal system, nervous system, antiparasitic products, respiratory system, and sensory organs). Further stratifications were done for predetermined subcategories with a use-prevalence of at least 5% in the study population. Conditional logistic regression produced odds ratios, which given the use of incidence-density matching is interpretable as incidence rate ratios (IRRs). The association between prescription medication use and subsequent YOAD diagnosis was examined in the entire 10-year study period and in three time-intervals.

RESULTS

The study included 1745 YOAD cases and 5235 controls. In the main analysis, several overall categories showed significant associations with YOAD in one or more time-intervals, namely blood and blood forming organs and nervous system. Prescription medication use in the nervous system category was increased for YOAD cases compared to controls already 10->5 years prior to diagnosis (IRR 1.17, 95% CI 1.05-1.31), increasing to 1.57 (95% CI 1.39-1.78) in the year preceding diagnosis. This was largely driven by antidepressant and antipsychotic use, and especially prominent for first-time users.

CONCLUSIONS

In this study, medication use in several categories was associated with YOAD. Onset of treatment-requiring psychiatric symptoms such as depression or psychosis in mid-life may serve as potential early indicators of YOAD.

The role of oestrogen therapy in reducing risk of Alzheimer's disease: systematic review

BACKGROUND

Studies have shown a relationship between oestrogen and Alzheimer's disease. However, there is neither clear nor strong evidence on the use of oestrogen-only therapy in reducing the risk of Alzheimer's disease.

AIMS

To assess the effects of oestrogen-only therapy on reducing the risk of Alzheimer's disease.

METHOD

Inclusion criteria was determined with the PICO framework. Outcome was cognitive function measured by neuropsychological tests and strict protocols. Exclusion criteria included non-Alzheimer's dementia, progesterone-only therapy and pre-menopausal women. Searches were conducted in nine electronic healthcare databases, last searched in July 2022. Quality assessments conducted on randomised controlled trials (RCTs) were performed with the GRADE assessment, and cohort studies and case-control studies were assessed with the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. Extracted data were used to analyse participants, interventions and outcomes.

RESULTS

Twenty-four studies satisfied the search criteria (four RCTs, nine cohort studies, 11 case-control studies). Fifteen studies showed positive associations for oestrogen-only therapy reducing the risk of Alzheimer's disease, and the remaining nine found no evidence of association.

CONCLUSIONS

Fifteen studies showed that oestrogen-only therapy effectively reduced the risk of Alzheimer's disease, whereas nine showed no correlation. Studies also investigated oestrogen-related variables such as length of oestrogen exposure, being an apolipoprotein E ε4 carrier and concomitant use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, and their role in neuroprotection. This review was limited by the limited ranges of duration of oestrogen treatment and type of oestrogen-only therapy used. In conclusion, oestrogen-only therapy has potential for use in preventing Alzheimer's disease, although current evidence is inconclusive and requires further study.

Pharmacologic therapeutic options for sexual dysfunction

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Sexual problems are reported by up to 45% of individuals assigned female at birth. Although sexual function is a complex biopsychosocial construct, there are a number of pharmacologic treatment options aimed at addressing the changing vaginal hormonal milieu in postmenopausal individuals and moderating the excitatory and inhibitory aspects of the central nervous system in those with hypoactive sexual desire disorder.

RECENT FINDINGS

The last decade has seen an increase in the number and type of pharmacologic treatment options for dysfunction primarily associated with menopause and hypoactive sexual desire disorder. Recent publications and systematic reviews have strengthened the safety data of existing FDA-approved medications as well as off-label therapies.

SUMMARY

Pharmacologic treatment with local estrogen and testosterone replacement in postmenopausal individuals and with centrally-acting therapies such as flibanserin, bremelanotide, and testosterone in premenopausal individuals assigned female at birth are safe and can be used to improve sexual desire and sexual satisfaction.