Reproductive life events and Alzheimer’s disease in Italian women: a retrospective study

The aim of our study was to understand the complex relationship between the major reproductive life events in women with Alzheimer’s disease. In a retrospective, case-control study, 275 women with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and 276 control patients from a hospital population were enrolled from July 2007 to December 2010. The AD patients presented with later menopause (P < 0.01), lower occurrence of surgical menopause (P < 0.04), reduced hormone-replacement therapy intake (P < 0.0001), and a longer reproductive life span (P < 0.01), compared to controls. No significant differences were found with respect to age at puberty, number of pregnancies, previous abortions, or contraceptive therapy. A higher education level appeared to have a protective role against the risk of developing AD. In women, menopause and hormone-replacement therapy can differentially modulate the clinical manifestations of AD, but these factors do not play a predictive role in its development.