Individually modifiable risk factors to ameliorate cognitive aging: a systematic review and meta-analysis

A number of health and lifestyle factors are thought to contribute to cognitive decline associated with age but cannot be easily modified by the individual patient. We identified 12 individually modifiable interventions that can be implemented during midlife or later with the potential to ameliorate cognitive aging. For ten of these, we used PubMed databases for a systematic review of long-duration (at least 6 months), randomized, controlled trials in midlife and older adults without dementia or mild cognitive impairment with objective measures of neuropsychological performance. Using network meta-analysis, we performed a quantitative synthesis for global cognition (primary outcome) and episodic memory (secondary outcome). Of 1038 publications identified by our search strategy, 24 eligible trials were included in the network meta-analysis. Results suggested that the Mediterranean diet supplemented by olive oil and tai chi exercise may improve global cognition, and the Mediterranean diet plus olive oil and soy isoflavone supplements may improve memory. Effect sizes were no more than small (standardized mean differences 0.11-0.22). Cognitive training may have cognitive benefit as well. Most individually modifiable risk factors have not yet been adequately studied. We conclude that some interventions that can be self-initiated by healthy midlife and older adults may ameliorate cognitive aging.

Discontinuation rates of menopausal hormone therapy among postmenopausal women in the post-WHI study era

OBJECTIVES

Many women are reluctant to take menopausal hormone therapy (MHT) and discontinue the treatment within 12 months. The aim of this study was to investigate the persistence rates of combined MHT in the last decade, reflecting changes in the post-Women's Health Initiative era.

METHODS

We analyzed 17 020 patients receiving combined MHT from 2004 to 2013 using the Disease Analyzer database.

RESULTS

After 12 months of follow-up, 44.6% and 33.5% of patients receiving 1 mg and 2 mg, respectively, of oral combined MHT were still on treatment (p < 0.0001). The persistence rate of patients receiving < 50 μg of transdermal MHT was 39.1% after 1 year of treatment and presented no differences compared to patients receiving ≥ 50 μg of transdermal MHT with a persistence rate of 38.2%. MHT start in the years 2007-2009 was associated with higher discontinuation rates (hazard ratio 1.04, p = 0.0709) than MHT start in the years 2010-2013 (hazard ratio 0.90, p = 0.0001).

CONCLUSIONS

Our results indicate that patients beginning their treatments in the years 2010-2013 were more treatment-persistent than patients beginning with MHT in the early years after publication of the Women's Health Initiative study (2004-2009). Administration of low-dose oral MHT and transdermal MHT is associated with increased persistency compared to higher doses of oral MHT.

Should we abstain from treating women with endometriosis using menopausal hormone therapy, for fear of an increased ovarian cancer risk?

Women suffering from endometriosis often have an early menopause, resulting in severe menopausal symptoms and an increased risk of osteoporosis. They are therefore candidates for menopausal hormone therapy (MHT). Unfortunately, MHT may increase the risk of endometriosis recurrence. Moreover, endometriosis patients are at increased risk of ovarian cancer, which may be further enhanced by MHT use. It is unknown, however, whether MHT more frequently increases type I (low-grade serous tumors), which seem to be increased when endometriosis is present, or type II (the more aggressive high-grade serous) tumors. We propose the following decision-making algorithm for endometriosis patients considering MHT. Those who have been treated with bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy, and in whom there is no residual endometriotic disease, can probably be treated using MHT without risk of endometriosis recurrence or fear of ovarian cancer. For women with significant, residual endometriosis lesions, the benefit may outweigh the risks, when menopause is reached before the age of 45 years or when severe symptoms are present.