Estrogen and cognitive functioning in women: a longitudinal assessment

Prior studies linked lower estrogen at post-menopausal stage to cognitive decline, thereby making women twice as likely to develop risk for dementia than men. Researchers investigated the link between estrogen receptor (ER; GPER1, ER2, ER1) molecular variants and Alzheimer’s disease (AD) in women (n=1,711, mean age 78.0 years).
GPER1 associated with AD traits. In particular, GPER1 DNA methylation and RNA expression in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) linked to reduced cognition, tau tangles and global AD scores. Other factors attributable to cognitive decline included ER2 and ER1 single nucleotide polymorphisms and DNA methylation, and RNA expression in DLPFC genes.
According to the authors, ER molecular variants are associated with reduced cognition and pathologic traits in women with AD.