Hormone Use and Cognitive Performance in Women of Advanced Age

Objectives: To explore the association between hormone replacement therapy (HRT) and cognitive performance in a group of elderly women (≥75) using a battery of well‐standardized neuropsychological instruments. Design: Equivalent samples from existing cohort. Setting: Healthcare provider organization. Participants: All women enrolled were participants in an ongoing study of the association between HRT and the prevalence and incidence of dementia. Prescription records were used to establish HRT status. Fifty‐eight users and 47 nonusers of HRT participated in this substudy. Measurements: Given previous reports that HRT has a positive effect on verbal memory, the California Verbal Learning Test and the Logical Memory Test were used as primary outcomes. A range of validated tests that assess other cognitive domains was also included. Results: There were no significant differences between users and nonusers of HRT on any cognitive measures. Conclusion: Given equivalent groups of users and nonusers of HRT no support was found for the hypothesis that use of HRT improves cognitive performance in older women.