Estrogen vs Alzheimer’s!

…and other items from this week’s health science news:

Estradiol up your brain health

Researchers (Dr. Jennifer Bruno et al.) looked at data from 21,462 women on HRT or not (and for the sake of simplicity, looked only at estrogen-only HRT, to avoid confounding factors), and had the following main results:

• Lower dementia risk: women who had used estrogen-only hormone therapy had 39% lower odds of a clinical dementia diagnosis than women who had not used hormone therapy.
• Less Alzheimer’s pathology: among women who underwent autopsy, hormone therapy use was associated with 35% lower odds of Alzheimer’s-related brain changes after accounting for factors including age, education, genetics, race, and hypertension.
• Fewer Alzheimer’s signs at autopsy: 18% of hormone therapy users had no Alzheimer’s-related pathology, compared with 10% of non-users. Additionally, only 40% of users showed amyloid-beta plaques, tau tangles, and neuritic plaques, compared with 51% of non-users.
• Less amyloid accumulation: blood and spinal-fluid biomarkers in hormone therapy users were consistent with less amyloid being deposited in the brain.
• There were other benefits too: hormone therapy users were also less likely to have memory problems or declines in their ability to perform everyday activities.

The benefits may be more pronounced than this in reality, as the participant cohort involved were from an older generation* who, in their era, generally started it much later, with an average starting age of about 70. Current practice generally involves starting hormone therapy around menopause, often in the late 40s or early 50s, and while it is not yet known for sure (because that research is still in progress), it is reasonable to hypothesize that the benefit may be cumulative.

^{*Bearing in mind, that due to the nature of the study, the participants (whether or not they used HRT) are all dead now. Otherwise the ethics board wouldn’t have let the scientists do the autopsies!}

Read in full: Women taking estrogen had fewer signs of Alzheimer’s in their brains

Related: What Menopausal HRT Does To Your Brain

Children, heat, & hunger

Ever wondered why appetite often diminishes in hot weather, especially for children?

The main reason is that digestion is an exothermic process (produces heat), and the body is already working to stay cool.

Faced with a conflict of interests, the body prioritizes cooling, as it’s better to be hungry later than to have heatstroke now.

The main advice in the below-linked article is to offer nutritious cold foods in smaller, appealing portions and let children respond to their own hunger and fullness cues. Picnic-style meals, sandwiches, hummus, yogurt, fruit, and raw vegetables are all great options.

In short, a few days of eating less is generally not concerning if a child is drinking adequately, remains active, and otherwise seems well.

Read in full: Why children often eat less in hot weather—and when parents should worry

Related: Burn! How To Boost Your Metabolism

The MMR latest

First, what it actually is: the MMR vaccine protects against measles, mumps, and rubella, three highly contagious viral infections. Measles can cause serious complications such as pneumonia and brain swelling; mumps can cause painful swelling, fever, and other complications; and rubella is particularly dangerous during pregnancy because it can harm a developing fetus.

The combined vaccine was developed back in 1971 and allows children to receive protection against three diseases with fewer injections and medical visits. Research shows that requiring more injections can make it less likely that children complete their vaccination schedules.

Trump’s recent executive order calls for fewer routine childhood vaccinations and recommends replacing the combined MMR vaccine with separate measles, mumps, and rubella shots given at different medical visits.

However, the order does not currently change the CDC’s recommended childhood vaccination schedule, limit vaccine access, or change insurance coverage.

Further, the proposed MMR change cannot currently happen: individual measles, mumps, and rubella vaccines are not licensed or available as separate shots in the US. Creating them would require manufacturers to develop, produce, and test new vaccines, which would be costly and time-consuming. And “time-consuming” in contexts like this would mean people dying unnecessarily in the meantime, if the gap is not bridged by normal combined MMR vaccinations.

Lastly, yes, extensive research has found the MMR vaccine to be safe and effective, and there is no evidence to suggest that separating them would improve anything.

Read in full: What is the MMR vaccine and how does Trump’s executive order affect parents and children?

Related: The Truth About Vaccines

Take care!