CHICAGO, Sept. 25 (UPI) -- Hormone therapy in early post-menopause increases sexual interest, but does not appear to improve memory, a U.S. study found.
Pauline Maki, of the University of Illinois at Chicago, enrolled 180 women between the ages of 45 and 55 whose last menstrual cycle was in the past one to three years, who were randomly assigned to receive either a placebo or a combination of estrogen and progesterone for four months. The study evaluated memory, attention, cognitive function, emotional status, sexuality and sleep.
The study, published in the journal Neurology, found no significant changes in cognitive function identified in the newly menopausal women taking hormone therapy compared to the placebo group.
However, women treated with hormone therapy reported a 32 percent increase in sexual thoughts and a 44 percent increase in sexual interest when compared to women taking placebo, the study said.
"Contrary to what we predicted, hormone therapy did not have a positive affect on memory performance in younger mid-life women," Maki said in a statement. "If women want to improve hot flashes and night sweats -- the primary reason most women seek menopausal relief -- and they want to improve their sexual focus and interest, then this may be a formulation for them."
