Previous studies have indicated that estrogen may delay disease progression and minimize the cognitive decline in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, the evidence for an estrogen deficiency in women with dementia and cognitive dysfunction is inconsistent. In the present review, a fixed effect meta-analysis revealed that the hormone replacement therapy (HRT) group exhibited significant improvements in Alzheimer Disease Assessment Scale-Cognitive subscale scores relative to those observed in the placebo group, suggesting that HRT is feasible for treating cognitive decline in patients with AD. However, no significant differences in Mini-Mental State Examination and Clinical Dementia Rating scale scores were observed between the 2 groups. The results of our systematic review indicate that HRT can improve cognitive function in female patients with AD. Due to limitations in sample size and the available literature, further multicenter trials with larger sample sizes are required to support these findings.
Keywords: Alzheimer disease; cognitive function; hormone replacement therapy; meta-analysis.