TUESDAY, April 21, 2026 (HealthDay News) -- Having a longer reproductive span is associated with better cognitive trajectories, while menopausal hormone therapy (MHT) use within 10 years of menopause is associated with faster cognitive decline, according to a study published online April 15 in Menopause.
Namuunaa Juramt, M.P.H., from Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School in Boston, and colleagues examined cognitive change (1995 to 2008) with four telephone interviews in 14,217 Nurses' Health Study participants and examined associations with reproductive span (age at menopause minus age at menarche) and duration of MHT use (0 to 10 and 11+ years after menopause).
The researchers found an association for a longer reproductive span with better cognitive trajectories. Faster decline was seen with MHT use for 0 to 10 years postmenopause, while no association was seen during 11+ years of use postmenopause.
"Although the results of this well-designed study may still be affected by residual confounding, they support current guidelines that recommend against the use of hormone therapy for prevention of dementia," Stephanie Faubion, M.D., medical director for The Menopause Society, said in a statement.
Several authors disclosed ties to the biopharmaceutical industry.