Hormone Replacement Therapy and Risk for Neurodegenerative Diseases

Figure 1

Putative mechanisms through which 17 β-estradiol exerts neuroprotective and neuro-adverse effects. In the context of Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and HIV, 17β-estradiol appears to be neuroprotective. However, frontotemporal dementia is often the result of mutated tau protein and/or tau-related pathology. Because 17β-estradiol increases production of tau, it may accelerate risk for some forms of frontotemporal dementia.