Hormone replacement therapy and mild cognitive impairment in postmenopause

The mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is an impairment of cognitive abilities that not yet satisfies diagnostic criteria of dementia. Impaired cardiovascular parameters are associated with the risk of cognitive disorders. Low estrogen levels in postmenopause are related to impaired ability of the central nervous system and could explain the high incidence of cognitive disorders in postmenopausal women. The aim of this study was to assess cognitive performances in postmenopausal women affected by MCI and the impact of an HRT combination of low-dose oestradiol plus drospirenone. The evaluation of cognitive skills performed with neuropsychological tests showed that women on HRT had higher cognitive performances than controls, in particular they showed higher rates of short and long term memory, attention, verbal fluency and visuospatial performance. These ability are typically involved in the MCI. The beneficial effects of drospirenone on cardiovascular parameters could explain the reduce risk of developing dementia.