I think I read and posted something like this before, but for the
benefit of new list members...or if you missed it...
HRT may reduce Parkinson's risk
NEW YORK, Oct 13, 1998 (Reuters) -- Taking hormone replacement therapy
(HRT) after menopause may reduce a woman's risk of developing
Parkinson's disease, suggests a small study conducted in Olmstead
County, Minnesota. And if the disease does develop, the estrogen in
hormone replacement therapy may reduce severity of symptoms, report the
researchers.
``There seems to be an emerging story here,'' said Dr. Demetrius M.
Maraganore of the Mayo Clinic in an interview with Reuters Health. In a
study of 202 women, the researchers compared those who developed
Parkinson's disease during a 15-year period to women the same age who
did not develop the disease. They found that women who developed
Parkinson's disease were less likely to have been prescribed hormones.
``Our study was methodologically strong,'' said Maraganore. He presented
his findings Monday at the 5th International Congress of Parkinson's
Disease and Movement Disorders in New York.
However, the study findings do not indicate a conclusive link between
the drugs and reduced risk of the neurological disease. It is possible
that women who developed Parkinson's disease were less likely to ask
about hormone replacement therapy, say the researchers, or to be
prescribed the drugs for some other, unknown reason.
Another finding in the Olmstead County study was that women who had had
a hysterectomy were three times more likely to develop Parkinson's
disease than those without hysterectomy, Maraganore reported. This
finding may reflect an effect of decreased estrogen levels, because
although not all women who have a hysterectomy have their ovaries
removed, ovarian failure may cause uterine dysfunction, which is an
indication for hysterectomy.
The Mayo Clinic researcher added that his findings ``nicely complement''
other findings presented at the Movement Disorders meeting. These
findings include: that estrogen improves memory in women with
Parkinson's disease, that estrogen does not have an adverse effect on
Parkinson's therapy, ``in fact estrogen replacement promotes the effects
of symptomatic treatment,'' and that in general, women have a more
favorable course of disease and survival than men with Parkinson's
disease.
``All these studies are scratching at the surface, but they begin to
paint a picture of the benefits of estrogen on Parkinson's disease,''
said Dr. Lisa M. Shulman, assistant professor of neurology at the
University of Miami School of Medicine in a statement issued by the
Movement Disorders Society.
--
Judith Richards, London, Ontario, Canada
<[log in to unmask]>
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