09/13/2026
đ§ What if the conversation about estrogen and brain health needs to happen BEFORE women are well into menopause?
One of the most interesting areas of menopause research right now is not simply whether a woman uses hormone therapy â but WHEN she starts it.
A large 2026 study following more than 183,000 postmenopausal women found that hormone therapy use was associated with a lower risk of dementia, with the benefit seen when therapy was initiated around the menopause transition.
This adds to the growing conversation around the âwindow of opportunityâ â the idea that starting estrogen during perimenopause or early menopause may have very different effects than beginning therapy many years later.
Does this mean estrogen has been proven to prevent dementia? No.
But it DOES reinforce something I talk about with women every day:
Menopause is about so much more than treating hot flashes.
Estrogen affects the brain, bones, cardiovascular system, metabolism, sleep, mood and overall health. The decision to use hormone therapy should always be individualized, but women deserve to have that conversation EARLY enough for timing to be part of it.
We shouldnât wait until a woman is 10â20 years beyond menopause to start talking about her long-term health.
đš Menopause care is preventative health care.