Exogenous Hormones Associate With Reduced Dementia Risk in UK Biobank Cohort

The clinical management of female patients across the reproductive lifespan requires a careful balancing of hormonal interventions, from contraception in early adulthood to the mitigation of menopausal symptoms in later years [1, 2]. While the cardiovascular and metabolic effects of these therapies are well-documented in established clinical guidelines, their long-term impact on neurological health remains a subject of intense debate [3, 4, 5]. Clinicians frequently face questions regarding the safety and secondary effects of exogenous hormones, yet definitive data on neuroprotection or cognitive risk have been inconsistent. Understanding these associations is critical for informed shared decision-making, particularly as the prevalence of neurodegenerative conditions continues to grow [6]. A large-scale cohort study now provides new evidence regarding how the duration and timing of hormone use may influence the risk of incident dementia.