Early Bilateral Oophorectomy Increases Risk of Alzheimer Disease

FRIDAY, Dec. 13, 2024 (HealthDay News) — Women with early bilateral oophorectomy (BO) are at high risk of Alzheimer disease (AD) compared to women with spontaneous menopause, according to a study published online in the November issue of the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease.

Noelia Calvo, Ph.D., from University of Toronto, and colleagues examined prevalence and predictors of AD in women with early BO compared to women with spontaneous menopause. Analysis included U.K. Biobank data from 34,603 women (aged ≥60 years).

The researchers found that women with early BO had quadrupled odds of developing AD (odds ratio [OR], 4.12) versus women with spontaneous menopause. Increased odds in the BO group were seen for carriers of apolipoprotein E4 (APOE4; OR, 4.29) and those with older age (OR, 1.16). For both BO (OR, 0.91) and spontaneous menopause (OR, 0.95), greater years of education were associated with reduced odds of AD. Ever use of hormone therapy (HT) was associated with decreased odds of AD only for the BO group (OR, 0.43).

“Women with early BO, particularly with an APOE4 allele, are at high risk of AD. Women with early BO who use HT and those with increased education have lower odds of developing AD,” the authors write. “Broadly, this work underscores the importance of continued research into the effects of estrogens on cognition and odds of AD for all women and contributes to a greater understanding of sex differences in AD.”

Abstract/Full Text