If you know me well, you know that I am very passionate about Alzheimer's Disease (AD) research. None of my relatives (as of now) are affected by it, thankfully, but my interest in this field stems from the vast number people who are affected by the disease – whether directly or indirectly as caregivers. According to Alzheimer's Association, "1 in 3 seniors dies with Alzheimer's or other another dementia" and "every 65 seconds someone in the United States develops the disease."

There are numerous studies on Alzheimer's regarding amyloid-beta (Aβ) protein and neurofibrillary tangles that are often associated with the disease. Although there is still not a cure, new perspectives on the disease have entered the field. One of the more interesting research, in my opinion, is the relationship between estrogen – the female sex hormone – and the risk of Alzheimer's.

A study published in 2017 followed 8,195 women who were between the ages of 47 and 56 residing in Kuopio Province in Finland for 20 years. "Self-administered questionnaires" were sent to everyone, and there were "227 cases of the incident AD." The results showed that "long-term self-reported postmenopausal hormone therapy," either estrogen or combination of estrogen and progesterone treatment, was associated with reduced risk for Alzheimer's disease. The study, however, is inconclusive because it was an observational study and the most we can say is that perhaps there is a correlation – not a causation. It is completely possible that those who choose to continue hormone therapy were healthier in general, with better diet and daily exercise, than those who chose to discontinue them.

Research presented at the Alzheimer's Association International Conference this year also introduces interesting data in this field. One study observed an "association between woman's reproductive history and her risk of memory problems later in life" within the 15,000 women in California studied. It revealed that "the risk of dementia for women who had three or more children was 12 percent lower than the risk for women who had one child." Another study in the United Kingdom observed that "more months of pregnancy they experienced during their lives, the lower the risk of developing Alzheimer's," among the 133 elderly women studied. Although very intriguing, these studies are again, not causational.

As apparent, more research is necessary, not only in the relationship between estrogen and Alzheimer's but to decipher the underlying mechanism of the disease. I am hopeful that continuous research in this field will reach a cure in the near future.