In people diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s disease, a biomarker tool that detects shrinkage of the brain’s gray matter may predict how quickly someone may progress from mild cognitive impairment (MCI) to dementia, according to a new study published August 26, 2026, in  Neurology^®, an official journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

Researchers have found that HRT may reduce the risk of dementia, particularly for certain groups of women.  The team followed more than 180,000 postmenopausal women in the UK for this, the largest study of its kind to date. They found that women who had used HRT had a 16 per cent lower risk of developing Alzheimer’s (the main form of dementia) compared with those who had never used it. The greatest reduction was seen in women who had undergone surgical menopause, with a 26 per cent lower risk of developing any type of dementia, compared with non‑users. The study also found that women who naturally had lower lifetime oestrogen exposure, due to starting their periods late or early menopause, seemed to benefit more from HRT - with a 16 per cent lower risk of any type of dementia.