Women are more likely than men to develop Alzheimer's disease. As a result, researchers are investigating whether hormones play a role in maintaining brain health throughout life.
This is according to a new study published in the journal NeuroImage and reported by HealthDay.
How birth control pills may play a role
The researchers analyzed brain scans from 459 women who participated in a study on exercise and brain health.
Among other things, the women reported whether they had used birth control pills or hormone therapy during menopause.
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The researchers then compared this information with the size and structure of the participants' brains.
The study also found that women who experienced menopause later in life had thicker brain tissue in areas commonly affected by Alzheimer's disease.
The researchers suggest that a longer period of exposure to the body's natural estrogen may be one possible explanation.
Larger brain volume
Women who had previously used estrogen-based birth control pills had, on average, greater brain volume in older age than women who had never used them.
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The association was strongest among women who had used birth control pills earlier in life and had also received hormone therapy after menopause.
The researchers emphasize that the study does not prove that hormone therapy protects the brain.
The findings show only an association, and further research is needed before any firm conclusions can be drawn.
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